At the surface, the shark was normally filmed swimming with its mouth closed, except for a single mouth opening event lasting 4 s and there was no other feeding evident throughout the video. This type of feeding is called obligate ram filter-feeding. A slow-moving filter feeder, its common name derives from its habit of feeding at the surface, appearing to be basking in the warmer water there.It has anatomical adaptations for filter-feeding, such as a greatly enlarged mouth and highly developed gill rakers. The basking shark will follow concentrations of plankton in the water column and can process up to 2,000 tons of water an hour. However, in spite of its size, the basking shark is known to be one of three planktivorous shark species, in addition to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios). Can a basking shark close its mouth? Then the shark closes its mouth and filters the food from the water by pushing it through bristly gill rakers in its mouth, and it then swallows the food. The basking shark is the second largest shark in the world, only surpassed by the whale shark and, also, is one of the three planktivorous sharks. 2. 6. Prohibited Species. Think of just like chilling in its mouth while it desperately tried to eat you, unsuccessfully. 81% Upvoted. The basking shark is typically seen swimming slowly at the surface, mouth agape in open water near shore. The other large filter-feeding sharks, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) feed by a different method, suction-feeding[7]. IT hasn't happened. Sightings of non-feeding basking sharks at the surface were rare, but in the course of the study two sharks exhibiting normal swimming with the mouth closed were tracked. Close. share. 13 comments. Can a basking shark close its mouth? save hide report. But if you did somehow force yourself into the mouth of a feeding basking shark you would be stuck there as it is a filter feeder and you are not its game. A basking shark with its mouth closed, swallowing. Archived. This thread is archived. Basking Shark – Cetorhinus maximus. Posted by 5 years ago. Picture: Maura Mitchell. It is a “kind” shark for divers, despite its size and the impressive mouth that it possesses. Basking sharks are often seen traveling in pairs and in larger schools of up to a 100 or more. Other Lamniformes are the basking shark, the goblin shark, ... which remain visible even when the shark’s mouth is closed. Fish are measured from the tip of the snout (mouth closed) to the longest part of the tail. This species is known to enter bays and estuaries as well as venturing offshore. Among these, it is the only obligate ram filter-feeder, as the other two are primarily suction-feeders (Diamond, 1985; Compagno, 1990). The basking shark is a cosmopolitan migratory species, found in all the world's temperate oceans. The left over water is expelled through the gill slits. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.