The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the world's largest fish, it has a history of 60 million years in which it has traveled the oceans of this world. Furthermore, the shark is unique because not only is it the only existing species of its genus but also of its family.
Nevertheless, we generally know little about this species which is cataloged vulnerable on the IUCN list. The first whale shark measuring 4.6 meters was identified, speared and captured on the shores of Table Bay, South Africa in 1828. This shark was sold for six pounds, and its holotype is shown at the Museum of Natural History in Paris. One year after this great discovery the first scientific paper on the species was written, and in 1849 the first detailed description of the whale shark was published. It was assigned the name whale shark due to the physiology of the fish; a shark with the appearance and size more typical of a whale.