Long, Thick, Slimy, Dirty and Filmed for the First Time Ever...

November 18, 2008

ANYHOW, for the first time some overly excited marine biologists have filmed a whale shark excreting feces. There's a video from BBC if you are interested in seeing this amazing sight for yourselves - don't say I didn't warn you.

Because whale sharks are pelagic fish, very little is known about their habits and behaviors. Collecting fecal samples allows scientists a glimpse into a largely unseen world. Using DNA analysis, scientists were able to learn what the world's largest fish had been feeding on - red crab larvae, which could be why the fish are attracted to Christmas Island.

Whale sharks do not commonly excrete in shallow waters. Biologist Mark Meekan of the Australian Institute of Marine Science has called the fecal sample "scientific gold."

"It does seem rather weird, someone being so excited about seeing whale shark poo... But it is pretty rare," he said.

If only we could all get so excited about using a pooper-scooper - the world would be a much happier place.

See more nerdy tid-bits over at Observations of a Nerd

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