Donsol: an important reproductive habitat for the world's largest fish Rhincodon typus?

Little is known about the reproductive ecology of the whale shark Rhincodon typus. On 15 March 2020, a free-swimming neonate whale shark was found in the shallow, coastal waters of Donsol, Philippines. The total length of the male shark was 60 cm, falling within the species known size-at-birth. This is the third occurrence of neonatal whale sharks reported in the area, and coupled with the occurrence of juveniles and adults, and anecdotal mating and precopulatory behaviour reported herein, the importance of the site for this endangered species is highlighted.

Whale sharks Rhincodon typus get cleaned by the blue-streak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus and the moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare in the Philippines.

Cleaning interactions are essential for healthy marine ecosystem communities. This study reports the first documentation of the whale shark Rhincodon typus cleaning behaviour in the Indo-West Pacific by two wrasse species, the blue-streak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus and the moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare in Cebu, Philippines. This study documented 36 cleaning interactions with 14 individual whale sharks. The cleaning interactions appear opportunistic rather than targeted by the sharks, unlike that observed in other species of elasmobranchs. Further work should focus on understanding the drivers of these unique cleaning interactions.