Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios)

Scientific name: Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983

Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios)

The Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is a marine fish of the family Megachasmidae. Native range: Pacific Ocean, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii and California, USA. Atlantic Ocean: Brazil and Senegal.

Biology

Oceanic, possibly occurring in depths between 150 and 1,000 m. Epi- and mesopelagic. Feeds on planktivorous prey such as euphausiid shrimps, copepods and jellyfish. May also eat small midwater fishes. Ovoviviparous. Possibly less active than the basking and whale sharks. Its feeding habits and habitat suggest that it may be a rare catch in the future. Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother. Males mature by 400 cm. A bright white band on the snout just above the upper jaw may play a role in feeding behavior or with recognition of individuals. Preyed on by the semi-parasitic cookiecutter shark, Isistius brasiliensis.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Megachasma pelagios
Family
Megachasmidae (Megamouth sharks)
Order
Lamniformes (Mackerel sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
549
Depth range
5–600 m (16–1969 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 5 - 600 m, usually 120 - 166 m
Climate
Deep-water
Distribution
Pacific Ocean: Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii and California, USA. Atlantic Ocean: Brazil and Senegal.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec assumed to be

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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