New records of neonatal and juvenile whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) from the Indian Ocean

Abstract

The finding of neonatal whale sharks from Northern Indian Ocean waters off of Pakistan and Bangladesh and the description of several very small whale sharks from around Seychelles during the last few years are reported. These findings are discussed in relation to published reports of growth rates, the areas of occurrence and segregation by sex, and the behaviour of very young whale sharks, which are key factors in their conservation management. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.