Marine biologists have documented the first case of a whale shark with a severe spinal deformity, first encountered in 2010 at Ewing Bank off the Louisiana coast. The 20-foot shark has surprisingly thrived despite its condition, exhibiting normal swimming patterns and feeding behaviors, likely due to its filter-feeding strategy. Tagged for research, it showed typical daily speeds and depth preferences similar to healthy whale sharks. This remarkable case suggests the deformity is congenital, not trauma-induced.
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