Sunday 19 May
Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios)
DATADEFICIENT
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Find out here.Megamouth shark fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Megamouth shark description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Lamniformes |
| Family | Megachasmidae |
| Genus | Megachasma (1) |
The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is one of the most mysterious and least understood of all the sharks. It was first recorded in 1976 and is so different from other shark lineages that it has been placed in its own family: Megachasmidae (3). Megamouth sharks can reach over 5 metres in length (4); the head is large with a short snout and, as the name would suggest, an extremely large mouth (5). The mouth contains over 50 rows of very small, hooked teeth. The body is tapered with a fleshy appearance; it is a blackish-brown colour above and white below (3). There are two unequal sized dorsal fins and the tail has a longer upper lobe (3).
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Megamouth shark biology
Since its discovery in 1976, only 17 sightings have been recorded of this elusive fish (3) and the majority of these have been of dead specimens; either accidentally caught or stranded individuals (5). Consequently, very little is known of the megamouth shark's natural ecology and behavioural observations have only been possible from the tagging of one individual for a brief two-day period in 1990 (3). This shark was observed to undergo vertical migrations, spending the day in deep water and ascending to midwater at night; it is likely that this migration is undertaken in response to the movements of prey species such as krill (3). Megamouth sharks are thought to feed by swimming through groups of small prey items with their mouths open; however, no direct observations have yet been achieved (3).
TopMegamouth shark range
Megamouth sharks have been reported from the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (3).
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Species with a similar range
See this species on Google Earth.
TopMegamouth shark habitat
Found in the open ocean, the megamouth shark is believed to occur at depths of 150 to 1,000 metres (4).
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Species found in a similar habitat
Megamouth shark status
The megamouth shark is classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List (1).
Megamouth shark threats
The lack of data concerning either the distribution or behaviour of megamouth sharks makes it particularly difficult to assess the severity and types of threats faced by this species. A number of specimens have been caught accidentally as by-catch of deepwater fishing methods and it is likely that this practice will increasingly affect population numbers (4).
TopMegamouth shark conservation
A greater understanding of the mysterious megamouth shark, a giant of the deep, is urgently required before the necessity for any conservation measures can be properly realised or implemented.
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View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. |
Find out more
For further information on the megamouth shark see:
-
Florida Museum of Natural History
www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Megamouth/megamouth.htm -
Reef Quest Centre for Shark Research:
http://www.elasmo-research.org
For further information on the conservation of sharks and rays see:
-
Save Our Seas Foundation:
http://www.saveourseas.com/
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Glossary
- By-catch
- In the fishing industry, the part of the catch made up of non-target species.
- Dorsal fin
- In fish, the unpaired fin found on the back of the body.
References
-
IUCN Red List (January, 2008)
http://www.iucnredlist.org -
Reef Quest Centre for Shark Research (April, 2003)
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/m_pelagios.htm -
Florida Museum of Natural History (April, 2003)
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Megamouth/megamouth.htm -
Fishbase (April, 2003)
http://www.fishbase.org -
Australia Museum online (April, 2003)
http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/megamouth.htm
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Megamouth shark
© Bruce Rasner/Rotman / naturepl.com
Nature Picture Library
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BS1 5RR
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 117 911 4675
Fax: +44 (0) 117 911 4699
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