Naamgeving
| name | Tiburón ballena | 
| name | RHIN Rhin 1 | 
| name | Whale shark | 
| name | Requin baleine | 
| Valid name | Rhiniodon typus | 
| Synonym | Rhineodon typus Smith, 1829 | 
| Synonym | Micristodus punctatus Gill, 1865 | 
| Synonym | Rhinodon pentalineatus Kishinouye, 1891 | 
| Synonym | Rhincodon typus Smith, 1829 | 
| Synonym | Rhinodon typicus Müller and Henle, 1839 | 
Indeling
- 
																
									Chordata
								 [phylum]
								Chordates								
- 
																	
									Vertebrata
								 [subphylum]
								Vertebrates								
- 
																	
									Gnathostomata
								 [superclass]
								Gnathostomes								
- 
																	
									Chondrichthyes
								 [class]
								Chondrichthians								
- 
																	
									Elasmobranchii
								 [subclass]
								Elasmobranchs								
- 
																	
									Galeomorphii
								 [superorder]
												
- 
																	
									Orectolobiformes
								 [order]
												
- 
																	
									Rhiniodontidae
								 [family]
								Whale sharks								
- 
																	
									Rhiniodon 
								 [genus]
												
- Rhiniodon typus [species] Whale shark
 
 
 - 
																	
									Rhiniodon 
								 [genus]
												
 
 - 
																	
									Rhiniodontidae
								 [family]
								Whale sharks								
 
 - 
																	
									Orectolobiformes
								 [order]
												
 
 - 
																	
									Galeomorphii
								 [superorder]
												
 
 - 
																	
									Elasmobranchii
								 [subclass]
								Elasmobranchs								
 
 - 
																	
									Chondrichthyes
								 [class]
								Chondrichthians								
 
 - 
																	
									Gnathostomata
								 [superclass]
								Gnathostomes								
 
 - 
																	
									Vertebrata
								 [subphylum]
								Vertebrates