What is the largest fish in the ocean?

The whale shark is the largest fish in the oceans. The largest whale shark measured 40 feet in length, and scientists believe they can get even larger. A typical whale shark weighs close to 20 tons and has a length between 18 to 32 feet.

Despite their size, whale sharks are docile and non-aggressive creatures. They filter feed, meaning they feed on small fish, plankton and other minuscule organisms. Whale sharks prefer warm, tropical waters and each year migrate to the corals off of the west coast of Australia where there is a plethora of plankton on which to feed. They are easily identified by the white spots that litter their bodies.