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The massive shark named Trixie died Friday after “struggling to navigate the habitat earlier today,” the aquarium said in a statement on its Facebook page.
His health rapidly declined, the statement said.
His health rapidly declined, the statement said.
“Even after exhaustive veterinary and animal care efforts, she ultimately passed away,” the aquarium said.
Trixie was one of the aquarium’s first whale sharks and has been a star in its 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit since 2006, according to the release.
“It has contributed immensely to our understanding of whale sharks and their care. Loss is inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any less painful,” the aquarium said.
Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the world and are classified as threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
They are native to the tropical oceans of the Atlantic, Pacific and India, according to the aquarium.
The fish are between 18 and 32.8 feet in length, but can grow to over 60 feet in length.
Despite their enormous size, whale sharks live on a diet of tiny shrimp, krill, fish roe, sardines, anchovies, and other small prey.
Threats to whale sharks include entanglement in fishing nets, collisions with boats, ingestion of marine debris and microplastics and, in some cases, human interference through unregulated tourism.
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