The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding Carpet Shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (62 ft) The Whale Shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate.

It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae. The Whale Shark is thought to have developed around 60 million years ago marking the Whale Shark as one of the oldest species on Earth today.

The Whale Shark spends its life swimming through the open oceans in search of fish and squid. Unlike many other species of shark, the Whale Shark is known to feed on large shoals of tiny fish rather than hunting bigger fish and sea mammals.