Why do sharks also have Latin names and what is a whale sharks Latin name?
A species of shark may have various “common names” in different parts of the world, but to avoid confusion among scientists each species has only one scientific name. When scientists first devised classification of animals and plants Latin was the language of scholars. The first name of whale sharks (Rhincodon) tells us the genus to which the sharks belong; the second name (typus) is their species name. Does the whale shark have any teeth? Yes, and its original name (Rhinodonte) literally means “rasp tooth.” The shark has several thousand teeth in 11 to 12 rows in its jaws, but each tooth is only 1/12th of an inch [3 mm] in length. What is a shark’s lateral line and how does it work? The lateral line is a band of nerves running along each side of the whale shark from its head to its tail; it lies in the depression between its second and third lateral ridge. Blow steadily on the palm of your hand. Can you feel the air movement? Now wave a finger between your breath and your hand, and fe
