Which shark species is the largest fish found in Great Barrier Reef waters?

The whale shark is the largest fish found in Great Barrier Reef waters.

Despite its name, the whale shark is a fish, not a whale or other marine mammal. It is a filter feeder that strains plankton and small organisms from seawater rather than hunting large prey.

Whale sharks can reach at least 12 metres and are known for their distinctive checkerboard pattern of pale spots and stripes. They are generally solitary, though several may gather where food is concentrated. Sightings around the Great Barrier Reef are seasonal and are especially associated with productive offshore waters.

The whale shark’s size can cause confusion with the basking shark, another enormous filter-feeding fish. Basking sharks are not the characteristic giant fish associated with the Great Barrier Reef; the whale shark holds that distinction there.