Megamouth shark  (Megachasma pelagios)

Description

The megamouth shark 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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