basking shark
Plankton-eating ocean drifter
A basking shark is the second-largest living fish, after the whale shark.
It swims slowly near the surface with its enormous mouth agape, filtering plankton from the water.
The name comes from its habit of appearing to bask in the sun as it feeds in shallow waters.
Despite its size—up to forty feet—it poses no threat to humans.
Aquatic respiratory organs
- finsSwimming appendages
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- keelHull's structural base
- dorsal finFish's rear stabilizer
Causing no injury
- docileEasily controlled or taught
- gentleSoft and kind
- slow-movingProgressing at low speed
- passiveNot actively participating
nonaggressive · peaceful · placid · calm · approachable · unthreatening · curious · tolerant
Animal straining waterborne nutrients
- planktonDrifting marine microlife
- krillSmall marine crustaceans
- copepodsMinute aquatic crustaceans
- zooplanktonDrifting aquatic microorganisms
Extremely large and heavy
- enormousExtremely large in scale
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- giantBeing of huge size
- immenseExtremely large in scope
behemoth · leviathan · hulking · tonnage · gargantuan
At risk of extinction
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- protectedKept from harm
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
- marine reserveProtected ocean habitat
tagging · tracking · population decline · CITES · overfishing · recovery
Of the open sea
- coastalOf the shoreline
- migrationMovement to new territory
- oceanMassive saltwater body
- continental shelfSubmerged perimeter of landmass
surface waters · North Atlantic · British Isles · seasonal · aggregation · deep diving
gills
Aquatic respiratory organs
dorsal fin · snout · mouth · liver · skin
harmless
Causing no injury
- docileEasily controlled or taught
- gentleSoft and kind
- slow-movingProgressing at low speed
passive · nonaggressive · peaceful · placid · calm · approachable · unthreatening · curious · tolerant
filter feeder
Animal straining waterborne nutrients
zooplankton · open mouth · phytoplankton · jellyfish · plankton blooms
massive
Extremely large and heavy
immense · behemoth · leviathan · hulking · tonnage · gargantuan
endangered
At risk of extinction
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- protectedKept from harm
- bycatchNon-target species caught accidentally
marine reserve · tagging · tracking · population decline · CITES · overfishing · recovery
pelagic
Of the open sea
continental shelf · surface waters · North Atlantic · British Isles · seasonal · aggregation · deep diving
- mackerel sharksgreat white, mako, porbeagle, megalodon
- sea lifewhale, dolphin, salmon, jellyfish, plaice
- Atlantic fishAtlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, haddock, pollock, pollack
- British Wildlifered deer, badgers, grey squirrel, foxes, otter
- Cartilaginous Fishray, rays, skate, skates, stingray
- coastal wildlifepelican, grey seal, seagull, gull, sandpiper
basking sharkgreat white shark
Largest predatory fish
tiger shark · bull shark · mako shark · man-eater · hammerhead shark
shark, bask, sharks, basking, basks, basked, sunbathing, sharked, sharking