A long-term study has revealed that whale sharks, the largest fish on the planet can live upwards of 130 years.
Researchers from Nova Southeastern University’s Guy Harvey Research Institute and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme published their findings on whale shark aging growth dynamics in the latest Marine and Freshwater Research Journal.
The ten year study was conducted in the Republic of Maldives through repeated noninvasive underwater measurements of live sharks over the course of a decade. Based on the researchers data, they found that male whale sharks can live as long as 130 years and grow as large as 61.7 feet on average, which is longer and bigger than previously believed.
“Up to now, such aging and growth research has required obtaining vertebrae from dead whale sharks and counting growth rings, analogous to counting tree rings, to determine age,” lead author of the study Cameron Perry said. “Our work shows that we can obtain age and growth information without relying on dead sharks captured in fisheries. That is a big deal.”
Primarily funded by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, NSU’s GHRI works on initiatives and studies to provide the necessary information to better understand, conserve, monitor and effectively manage shark populations.
“Growth and reproduction of whale sharks, which are endangered in many places, are poorly understood,” said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., director of NSU’s GHRI. “When you couple this lack of knowledge with the fact that whale shark products such as fins, meat and oil are highly valuable—they are harvested in many countries—one can quickly see the urgency in learning as much as possible in order to help save these majestic creatures.”