Whale Shark(Rhincodon typus)
Quick Facts
- Size Range: The largest fish in the sea, the whale shark can reach lengths of up to 60 feet.
- Native Species?: Yes
- Food Value: Whale sharks are protected in the U.S. but are eaten in some other countries.
The whale shark gets to lay claim to being the largest fish in the oceans. Like many of the world’s largest creatures, they are filter feeders, eating krill, small fish and any plankton or zooplankton it can filter from the water. They are dark brown to tan with distinct white spots. They are gentle giants and in some places of the world you can swim with them.
Whale sharks are found in warm waters worldwide and not too much is known about their migration patterns. They are generally open water fish but sometimes come near shore if food is present.
The LDWF is conducting tagging studies on these giant fish to try and gain insight into their travels and biology.
Whale Shark Rules and Regulations
| Special Rules : | Prohibited species |
CLOSED SEASON
All Louisiana state waters seaward to the gulfward boundary of the Louisiana Territorial Sea shall be closed to the recreational and commercial harvest and possession of all sharks between April 1 and June 30 of each year.
Small Coastal Sharks
- Atlantic sharpnose shark; bonnethead shark; blacknose shark; finetooth shark
Large Coastal Sharks
- Blacktip shark; nurse shark; smooth hammerhead; bull shark; sandbar shark*; spinner shark; great hammerhead; scalloped hammerhead; tiger shark; lemon shark; silky shark*
*NOTE: Recreational harvest of sandbar and silky sharks (ridgeback sharks) is not allowed.
Pelagic Sharks
- Blue shark; porbeagle shark; thresher shark; oceanic whitetip shark; shortfin mako NOTE: A person subject to a bag limit shall not possess at any time, regardless of the number of trips or the duration of a trip, any shark in excess of the bag limits. The practice of “finning,” that is, removing only the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea, is prohibited within and without Louisiana waters. Notwithstanding other provisions of this part, a person may fish for, but not retain, white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) with rod and reel only under a catch and- release program, provided the person releases and returns such fish to the sea immediately with a minimum of injury.
Prohibited Sharks
- The following is a list of shark species that are prohibited:
- Atlantic angel shark, sand tiger shark, dusky shark, bigeye sand tiger shark, sixgill shark, largetooth sawfish, bigeye thresher shark, smalltooth sawfish, narrowtooth shark, Caribbean reef shark, white shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, basking shark, sevengill shark, Galapagos shark, bigeye sixgill shark, smalltail shark, longfin mako, bignose shark, whale shark and night shark. No sandbar or silky sharks may be retained under a recreational bag limit.
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