The largest fish on the planet are whale sharks. However, there are significant size differences between males and females: males average 8–9 meters, while females can grow up to 14 meters. Thus, the largest fish in the ocean are females. By the way, the largest recorded whale shark measured 18.8 meters.
From 2009 to 2019, researchers from the University of Western Australia observed 54 whale sharks. As a result, it was established that males are smaller than females, and the characteristics of their growth were identified. The article published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science reports that males grow faster than females but also stop growing earlier. Thus, despite their slow growth rate, females ultimately become larger than males.
The large size of whale sharks provides them with relatively high fertility. These sharks are ovoviviparous, which means that the shark pups develop in eggs inside the female's body. Most ovoviviparous sharks give birth to between two and twelve pups; however, a whale shark can give birth to several hundred.
Whale sharks mature very slowly—sexual maturity is reached at around 30 years, and according to some data, even at 50 years. During this period, many young sharks may die, so having a large number of pups is justified.
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