Submitted by admin on April 22, 2009 - 22:22
SHARK, BASKING
The basking shark, (Cetorhinus maximus), or reremai of the Maoris, is our largest shark, but it is quite harmless, for its teeth are blunt and only ¼ in. in length. Its food consists of small fishes and crustaceans. This shark attains a length of over 30 ft and its most distinctive feature is the extremely long gill slits, which almost sever the head. The reremai occurs both in New Zealand and in Australia.
by Arthur William Baden Powell, Assistant Director, Auckland Institute and Museum.