Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828)

Whale Shark

Rhiniodon typus Smith, 1828: 2. Holotype: MNHN 9855 (stuffed and mounted). Type locality: Table Bay, South Africa .

Local synonymy: Selache maxima —Thomas, 1887: 380 (Redscar Bay). Rhincodon typus— Munro, 1958: 112 (Redscar Bay); Munro, 1967: 6, pl. 1, fig. 6 (New Guinea). Rhincodon typus— Filewood, 1973: 3 (PNG); Compagno, 2001: 202 (PNG); Hamilton et al., 2009: 73 (northern Bismarck Archipelago); White et al., 2018: 82, figs (PNG). Rhiniodon typus— Compagno, 1984: 210 (PNG).

PNG voucher material: None.

Remarks: First recorded by Thomas (1887), as Selache maxime, based on observations of a number of individuals moving close to the vessel he was onboard; colour pattern description and size clearly relate to this species. Observer by divers at various locations around PNG; caught (and released) by purse seiners operating in northern pelagic PNG waters.