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Cetorhinus maximus
(Gunnerus, 1765)
The Basking shark is the only member of the Cetorhinidae family. It is the second largest shark and fish in the world. It is normally observed at the surface where it feeds alone or in a group. The Basking shark is found near the coast in northern and temperate waters. In Eastern Canada, it ranges from Newfoundland in the north, to the St. Lawrence Estuary in the west.
Despite its huge size, the Basking shark poses no threat to humans. It feeds exclusively on plankton. Very little is known about its reproduction. In winter, it is believed to hibernate on the bottom after shedding its gill rakers. In fact, it is the only shark that passively filter feeds, relying solely on forward movement to capture plankton. The Basking shark appears in the Maritimes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the start of summer. Some have even been captured in the dead of winter by trawlers, which may be an indication that a certain number hibernate in the gulf. |
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Scientific Name:
Cetorhinus maximus*
(Gunnerus, 1765)
*sea monster with a big nose
Common Names:
Basking shark
Elephant shark
Bone shark
Nurse fish
Sunfish
Sailfish
Hoe-mother |
Squale pèlerin (Fr.)
Squale géant (Fr.)
Éléphant de mer (Fr.)
Poisson à voiles (Fr.)
Cetorhinus comes from the Greek words "ketos," meaning "sea monster", and "rhinos," meaning "nose". Maximus is latin for "great." |
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Dead basking shark off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. Basking sharks are accidentally killed when they get get entangled in nets or other fishing devices.
This photo was taken in 1975, before the shark fin market had fully developed in the North Atlantic. Photo © GEERG (All Rights Reserved) |
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The Pacific population of the Basking shark is considered endangered by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).
Basking shark - Cetorhinus maximus
Pacific population
Status: Endangered (2007)
Canadian Occurrence: Pacific Ocean
Status Criteria: A2a; C1
Click HERE to go to COSEWIC's web page on the Basking shark. |
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on the
White Shark Carcharodon carcharias in Canada, COSEWIC
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Le naturaliste canadien, Déc. 1960. Université Laval
Les nouvelles du large, (Bulletin no. 7) - GREMM, 18.06.1999
Les nouvelles du large, (Bulletin no. 8) - GREMM, 24.06.1999
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