Australian researchers have made a discovery about the eating habits of whale sharks. It was them, and not the Kodiak brown bear, that turned out to be the worldʼs largest omnivorous animals.
The Guardian writes about it.
Studying whale sharks off Western Australiaʼs Ningaloo Reef, scientists discovered that the animals regularly enjoy a seaweed salad along with a large serving of krill. This means that they have officially dethroned the Kodiak brown bear as the worldʼs largest omnivore.
"This study shows that they [whale sharks] feed on quite a lot of plant material, actually more than krill," said Australian Institute of Marine Science fish biologist Mark Mikan.
The scientists found that in the process of evolution, whale sharks learned to digest algae so that it is easier to find food without spending too much energy getting rid of undigested biomass.
- The length of whale sharks can exceed 12 meters, and their weight — up to 19 tons. Currently, they are considered the largest fish on Earth.