Rhincodontidae is the shark family that includes the whale shark, which visits Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is the largest living fish. Despite its size, it is a filter feeder that consumes plankton and other small organisms rather than hunting large prey. Individuals are recognizable by their checkerboard-like pattern of pale spots and stripes.
Whale sharks occur in tropical and warm-temperate oceans and may pass through reef waters seasonally. Their presence does not mean they are permanent residents of every reef location; movements depend on food, currents and broader ocean conditions.
Rhincodontidae contains only the whale shark. The family name is therefore more specific than “sharks” and should not be confused with families such as Carcharhinidae, which includes many requiem sharks.