Can you tell the age of a whale shark by the size of its spots?

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and can live for up to 70 years. While it is not possible to accurately determine their age, it is believed that the size of their spots may provide some insight into their age.

Whale sharks have a unique pattern of spots on their skin, which is different for each individual. These spots are not actually pigmented, but are instead made up of dermal denticles, which are small tooth-like structures. It is believed that these spots grow in size as the whale shark ages, which could potentially be used to estimate their age.

However, this method of age determination is still in the early stages of research and has not been validated as a reliable technique. Other methods such as examining the growth rings in their vertebrae or measuring the concentration of certain chemicals in their tissues are more commonly used to estimate the age of whale sharks.