What is the purpose of their distinctive coloring patterns?
Like many species of sharks that hunt near the sea s surface, whale sharks are countershaded. They have white bellies (which makes them hard to see if a potential predator is underwater and looking up at them) and dark backs (which makes them difficult to see if the predator is looking down on them). It has been suggested that the pale spots and lines on their backs are camouflage. And, to some, the pattern resembles a school of fish, while to others it suggests reflections of sunlight on a shallow reef.
