basking shark

[bas-king, bah-sking]

noun

1. a large shark, Cetorhinus maximus, of cold and temperate seas, that often swims slowly or floats at the surface.

basking shark

noun

1. Also called: sailfish. a very large plankton-eating shark, Cetorhinus maximus , often floating at the sea surface: family Cetorhinidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of basking shark¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

“Living gigantic sharks, such as the whale shark and basking shark, as well as many other gigantic aquatic vertebrates like whales have slender bodies because large stocky bodies are hydrodynamically inefficient for swimming,” Shimada said.

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Filter feeders are everywhere in the animal world, from tiny crustaceans and certain types of coral and krill, to various molluscs, barnacles, and even massive basking sharks and baleen whales.

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The marine environment around the Treshnish Isles is also part of the Sea of the Hebrides Marine Protected Area due to the presence of basking sharks and minke whales.

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Most of the time his only company are seals, basking sharks and seabirds such as puffins and razorbills.

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He once led a boat in hot pursuit of what he thought was a school bus–size basking shark—only to find the wake he was following came from a lone salmon.

Read more on Science Magazine