Scientists run ultrasounds on whale sharks

Scientists in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands have conducted the first ultrasound exams on whale sharks living in the wild.





The exercise was carried out in the Darwin Wolf marine reserve by experts from Ecuador, Japan, Spain, Britain and New Zealand, biologist Harry Reyes told EFE.

Researchers had to operate at depths as low as 37m to perform ultrasound on four whale sharks - three females and a male.

The team also took blood samples from two of the sharks.

The whale shark, the world's largest fish, can extend more than 15m in length, Reyes said.

Tests found no evidence that any of the females was pregnant, according to Reyes, the director for conservation of marine ecosystems at Galapagos National Park.

He said scientists need to learn more about the whale shark to better design measures aimed at protecting the species.

The team included experts from the Churashima Foundation on the Japanese island of Okinawa, where several whale sharks are kept in captivity.


Share

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world