Marine biologists have discovered that basking sharks’ throats expand by around 450% while feeding, according to a study published in The Anatomical Record. Measuring between 7 and 9 meters long, basking sharks are too large to study in traditional laboratory settings, prompting researchers to use lasers, museum specimens, a forklift truck, and hours of social media footage to model their feeding mechanics.
Reconstructing the Skull of a Melbourne Museum Specimen
Because basking sharks are endangered and heavily regulated under international trade laws, researchers rarely get access to fresh carcasses. When a preserved specimen arrived at the Melbourne Museum, scientists raced to scan the open mouth before its tissues hardened. “That’s the only period you can open the mouth,” explained Aurora Li, a researcher at University College London, noting that the tissue cannot be repositioned afterward without permanent damage.
To capture a closed-mouth scan for comparison, the team used a forklift truck to haul the massive shark head out of its storage tank at a museum loading dock. City University of Hong Kong marine biologist Mason Dean and his team combined these high-resolution medical scans with YouTube video stills and previous CT scans to build a 3D digital puppet of the feeding skeleton. The data revealed that the shark’s extremely elongated gill arches function like an accordion, expanding the oral cavity volume dramatically to filter tiny prey as water washes over the gills.
Scouring YouTube for Feeding Angles
Observing basking sharks in the wild presents distinct logistical hurdles. While the animals often hold a single body position for extended periods while swimming with their mouths agape, getting clear interior footage remains exceptionally difficult. “There’s so many bits, so many corners that are hard to look at unless you get exactly the right view, and the right specimen, and the right lighting,” Dean said.
To overcome this, Li spent hours examining diver recordings on social media platforms. By analyzing fractions of a second from various YouTube clips, the team gathered the missing visual angles needed to map the shark’s unique, bristle-like filter structure. CT scans of a museum head transported in the trunk of a family car ultimately helped researchers track how these hooks fit precisely into the skeletal anatomy.
Did you know? Basking sharks can grow up to 12 meters long, yet they feed primarily on microscopic prey by swimming with their mouths wide open.
Frequently Asked Questions About Basking Shark Research
How much does a basking shark’s throat expand during feeding?
Researchers estimate that a basking shark’s throat expands by approximately 450% to maximize the volume of water filtered through its gills during feeding.
Why are basking sharks so difficult to study in laboratories?
Measuring between 7 and 9 meters in length, these endangered sharks cannot be kept in captivity. Their protected status and rapid decomposition rate further limit opportunities for close-up anatomical research.
Where was the detailed anatomical study published?
The findings were published in The Anatomical Record with support from the Human Frontier Science Program.
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