Megamouth Shark

About the Megamouth Shark

Megamouth sharks are very large open ocean migratory sharks, found in tropical waters worldwide. They are native to the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and are found in both shallow and very deep waters.

Biology:

The body of a Megamouth shark is cylindrical and stout almost tadpole-like with a large head but small eyes. Their snout is extremely short but broadly rounded with huge extendible jaws that can be extended from the head. Their teeth that are small and hooked. They are able to grow up to 7 m and weight over 700 Kg.

Reproduction:

They are ovoviviparous. Pups are produced by means of eggs that hatch inside the mother where they eat unfertilized eggs.

Behaviour:

Megamouth sharks feed are filter feeders, and feed on plankton. They are less active than other plankton-eating sharks, swimming in stiff, slow movements. Their depth range is 0 to 1000 m and possibly deeper, but they’re most commonly found at around 120 to 160 m of depth. They migrate in a twenty-four-hour cycle, swimming at depths of 200 meters below the surface by day, and ascending to 10-15 meters below the surface by night. Despite their size, megamouths are very skittish and are known for fleeing from minute disturbances into the deep ocean.

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