The largest fish on Earth is the whale shark, also known as the whale shark, tofu shark, or giant whale shark. It belongs to the genus *Salmonus* of the family Salmonidae. It is the largest shark and the largest fish on Earth. It is usually 9-12 meters long, with the largest individuals reaching up to 20 meters in length and weighing up to 12,500 kilograms, making it the largest fish in the world. It also has a mouth that is up to 1.5 meters wide.
When people first hear the name "whale shark," they may struggle to decide whether it is a "whale" or a "shark." It is called a "whale" because of its enormous size; it is the largest fish in the ocean. It is called a "shark" because it is a true species of shark.
Whale sharks are mainly distributed in tropical and temperate seas, and can be found in all sea areas of China during summer and autumn. They feed on plankton, giant algae, krill, and small free-swimming animals, such as krill, crab larvae, jellyfish, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, small tuna, squid, algae, small octopuses, crabs, and fish eggs. Whale sharks have very wide mouths, reaching over 1.5 meters in length, but their teeth do not tear their prey; this is their "gentle" side. They obtain their food by inhaling and exhaling seawater. Like basking sharks and megamouth sharks, whale sharks are one of the three known filter feeders.
In the ocean, whale sharks do not actively attack humans. They are very sensitive to their surroundings, possessing keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing. After each bite, a whale shark's old teeth fall out and are replaced by new ones, thus keeping its teeth almost always sharp and brand new.
According to scientific research, whale sharks have an antibody in their blood that can resist bacteria, viruses and chemical substances, and their eyes do not develop cataracts. These "mysterious" characteristics are very attractive to humans.
