Biology of Chordata Vertebrates
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataClass: Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)Subclass: Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays)Order: OrectolobiformesFamily: RhincodontidaeGenus: RhincodonSpecies: Rhincodon typus |
Integumentary system
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) has the toughest and thickest skin of all the animals in the world. It reaches up to 14 cm of thick; whale shark is pale on the underside and dark gray-brown color with white spots on the top. This can serve as a camouflage looking up or down the sea for shark’s preys (SRI, 2008). As all the other Chondrichtyes, Whale Shark skin is covered with little cartilaginous tooth-like structures, this are dermal placoid scales arranged to reduce the turbulence of water flowing along the body surface during swimming (Hickman, 2006). Whale shark maintains internal salt concentrations lower than seawater by pumping salt out through rectal glands and kidneys. Sharks retain urea dissolved in their body fluids. They also produce Trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) use to protect their proteins from denaturation by urea waste products. Retention of this organic solutes in their body fluids makes their osmolality slightly hypertonic to sea water (Hickman, 2008) Whale Sharks are ectothermic; this means that their body temperature is similar to the surroundings. They may regulate their body temperature by behavioral mechanism such as spending time in warmer surface water (Thumbs, 2012).
Musculo-Skeletal System As mentioned, Whale Shark is an elasmobranch; the skeleton of this animal is made out of cartilage instead of bone. This along with the big liver filled with oil helps the shark to float easier an spend less energy on its movement (SRI, 2008). They also posses an pelvic fins supported by appendicular skeletons, dorsal fins, a medial caudal fin and a median anal fin.
The heterocercal tail in sharks shows that the upturned tail axis tends to produce a thrust
Integumentary system
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) has the toughest and thickest skin of all the animals in the world. It reaches up to 14 cm of thick; whale shark is pale on the underside and dark gray-brown color with white spots on the top. This can serve as a camouflage looking up or down the sea for shark’s preys (SRI, 2008). As all the other Chondrichtyes, Whale Shark skin is covered with little cartilaginous tooth-like structures, this are dermal placoid scales arranged to reduce the turbulence of water flowing along the body surface during swimming (Hickman, 2006). Whale shark maintains internal salt concentrations lower than seawater by pumping salt out through rectal glands and kidneys. Sharks retain urea dissolved in their body fluids. They also produce Trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) use to protect their proteins from denaturation by urea waste products. Retention of this organic solutes in their body fluids makes their osmolality slightly hypertonic to sea water (Hickman, 2008) Whale Sharks are ectothermic; this means that their body temperature is similar to the surroundings. They may regulate their body temperature by behavioral mechanism such as spending time in warmer surface water (Thumbs, 2012).
Musculo-Skeletal System As mentioned, Whale Shark is an elasmobranch; the skeleton of this animal is made out of cartilage instead of bone. This along with the big liver filled with oil helps the shark to float easier an spend less energy on its movement (SRI, 2008). They also posses an pelvic fins supported by appendicular skeletons, dorsal fins, a medial caudal fin and a median anal fin.
The heterocercal tail in sharks shows that the upturned tail axis tends to produce a thrust