Elephant Shark (Callorhinchus milii)

The Elephant Shark or Callorhinchus milii is one of those fish you would think was created in some sort of science fiction novel. This saltwater fish is found in the waters off of Southern Australia and around New Zealand and without a doubt has one of the strangest mouths of any fish in the world! Above this odd mouth is it's "trunk" which can sense movement and weak electrical field that are given off by potential prey on the sandy bottom, much like the Hammerhead Shark. The Elephant Fish's pectoral fins are large and help them maneuver though the waters. They have two dorsal fins that are very widely spaced. All this makes them an the Elephant Fish easy to identify.Elephant Fish go by a few different names including the Australian Ghost Shark, Makorepe, Whitefish, Plownose Chimaeras and Elephant Fish. If you are fishing for Elephant Shark you should consider the fact that they are normally found between 200 and 500 meters deep. The only exception to this rule is when they spawn. At this time they are found in relatively shallow waters, which makes them easy to be caught by fisherman. Once caught, they provide flesh that is quite edible and is said to be best fried and battered much like Cod.  You can learn a little more about the Elephant Shark in the video below...


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Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

The Basking Shark or Cetorhinus maximus is a massive creature that can grow to 12 meters or 40ft. This is the second largest shark in the ocean only to the Whale Shark, which can grow to almost twice this size! Basking sharks are found in all of the world's oceans and lucky for us and a lot of other fish in the ocean, they are quite harmless. They are filter feeders that simply swim around slowly with their mouths open filtering zooplankton, small fish and invertebrates into meals. To check out this massive shark in action watch the video below...

Often confused with the Great White Shark, the Basking Shark has a much larger jaw that can be a full meter in length when open. Basking Sharks also have smaller teeth and smaller eyes than the Great White. These sharks will often be scarred with the marks of a Cookiecutter Shark which will literally cut out pieces of this massive saltwater shark.Also known as the Bone shark or Elephant Shark, they are often seen in schools of 4 or more and are though to move into deeper waters in the winter months. They are not at all scared of humans or boats so this docile nature makes them an easy catch for commercial fisherman who use their large livers for oil and flesh for food.

If you have any other information about the Basking Shark that you would like to share please leave it below in the comments...