# Whale shark Rhincodon typus foraging on small schooling fish in the northern Mexican Caribbean

## TL;DR

Whale sharks in the Mexican Caribbean were observed feeding on small fish, suggesting an alternative food source when zooplankton is scarce.

## Contribution

First evidence of whale sharks feeding on small fish in the Mexican Caribbean.

## Key findings

- Whale sharks were observed feeding on small fish schools in 2017 and 2024.
- This behavior indicates an alternative food source when zooplankton is scarce.
- The sharks aggregated in the area from May to September.

## Abstract

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregates in the Mexican Caribbean from May to September to feed on mixed zooplankton patches and fish spawn. For the first time in this area, we present evidence of observations of whale sharks feeding on schools of small fish, two in 2017 (10 individuals per flight) and one in 2024 (19 individuals). This fact shows that there is another food source for the species at this site, which may be used as an alternative to meet their energy demands when zooplankton is scarce.