Whale shark on the resultant clouds of eggs and sperm. Whale sharks are known to prey on a range of planktonic and small nektonic organisms that are spatiotemporally patchy. These include krill, crab larvae, jellyfish, sardines, anchovies, mackerels, small tunas, and squid. In ram filter feeding, the fish swims forward at constant speed with its mouth fully open, straining prey particles from the water by forward propulsion. This is also called ‘passive feeding’, which usually occurs when prey is present at low density. Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose any danger to humans. Whale sharks are docile fish and
Common minke whale sharks have been found scavenging the blubber thrown overboard during Norwegian minke whaling operations off Svalbard. Great white sharks and blue sharks have also been observed feeding on a minke whale carcass off California. A new species of siboglinid annelid worm, "Osedax mucofloris", was discovered on the carcass of a 5.3 m (17.4 ft) female minke whale experimentally placed at a depth of 125 m (410 ft) in the North Sea. This genus of worm uses endosymbiotic bacteria to feed on the bones of whales that fall to the seafloor. Common minke whales are a host to a number of