basking shark

basking shark
/bas"king, bah"sking/
a large shark, Cetorhinus maximus, of cold and temperate seas, that often swims slowly or floats at the surface.
[1760-70]

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Huge, sluggish shark (family Cetorhinidae) named for its habit of floating or slowly swimming at the surface.

Possibly comprising more than one distinct species, it inhabits northern and temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. It may grow as large as 46 ft (14 m); among fishes, only the whale shark grows larger. Despite its size, the basking shark feeds on plankton. It is gray-brown or blackish, with tiny teeth and very long gill slits. It is generally harmless and is hunted sporadically for fish meal and liver oil.

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▪ shark
      huge, sluggish shark of the family Cetorhinidae, usually classified as one species (Cetorhinus maximus). Named for its habit of floating or slowly swimming at the surface, the basking shark inhabits temperate regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. It is a giant, growing as long as 14 m (46 feet), and is exceeded in size among fishes only by the whale shark. Despite its size, the basking shark feeds on plankton. It is a gray-brown or blackish shark, with tiny teeth and very long gill slits. It is generally inoffensive and is hunted sporadically for fish meal and liver oil. When found decaying on beaches, it is sometimes reported as a sea serpent.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Basking shark — Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Present[1] …   Wikipedia

  • Basking shark — Bask ing shark (Zo[ o]l.) One of the largest species of sharks ({Cetorhinus maximus}), so called from its habit of basking in the sun; the {liver shark}, or {bone shark}. It inhabits the northern seas of Europe and America, and grows to a length… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • basking shark — ► NOUN ▪ a large shark which feeds on plankton and typically swims slowly close to the surface …   English terms dictionary

  • basking shark — n. any of a family (Cetorhinidae) of plankton eating giant sharks (order Lamniformes) with small, weak teeth: often found feeding along the surface in northern seas …   English World dictionary

  • basking shark — noun large harmless plankton eating northern shark; often swims slowly or floats at the sea surface • Syn: ↑Cetorhinus maximus • Hypernyms: ↑mackerel shark • Member Holonyms: ↑Cetorhinus, ↑genus Cetorhinus * * * ˈbasking shark 7 …   Useful english dictionary

  • basking shark — Liver Liv er, n. [AS. lifer; akin to D. liver, G. leber, OHG. lebara, Icel. lifr, Sw. lefver, and perh. to Gr. ? fat, E. live, v.] (Anat.) A very large glandular and vascular organ in the visceral cavity of all vertebrates. [1913 Webster] Note:… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • basking shark — milžinryklis statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Cetorhinus maximus angl. basking shark; bone shark; elephant shark; giant shark; oil shark rus. гигантская акула ryšiai: platesnis terminas – milžinrykliai …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • basking shark — bangininis ryklys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Rhincodon typus angl. basking shark; whale shark rus. китовая акула; китообразная акула ryšiai: platesnis terminas – bangininiai rykliai …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • basking shark — bask′ing shark [[t]ˈbæs kɪŋ, ˈbɑ skɪŋ[/t]] n. ich a large shark, Cetorhinus maximus, of cold and temperate seas, that often swims slowly or floats at the surface • Etymology: 1760–70 …   From formal English to slang

  • basking shark — noun Date: circa 1769 a large plankton feeding shark (Cetorhinus maximus) that has an oil rich liver and may attain a length of up to 45 feet (13.7 meters) …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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