Interesting and surprising things about deep sea animals that are unique on Earth.
The megamouth shark (scientific name Megachasma pelagios) is an extremely rare shark that lives in deep seas.
From the time it was discovered in 1976 to 2012, only 54 largemouth sharks were caught or sighted in the world, of which 3 were filmed.
Like whale sharks or basking sharks, megamouth sharks feed on floating organisms and jellyfish by filtering them in the combs in their mouth; They always swim with their mouths open to catch food.
The outstanding features of this species are its very large head and mouth and rubbery lips.
Because of so many differences, megamouth sharks are classified in a separate family, Megachasmidae, although some argue that they may be in the same Cetorhinidae family of basking sharks.
The shape of the megamouth shark is very special, the dorsal side is dark brown and white on the ventral side with an asymmetrical tail, the upper lobe is as large as the tail of a thresher shark.
The shape of the megamouth shark is very special, the dorsal side is dark brown and white on the ventral side with an asymmetrical tail, the upper lobe is as large as the tail of a thresher shark.
Appearance of a largemouth shark discovered on the coast of Japan.
The size of the animal is very large, it can be up to 5.5 meters long. Normally male fish are 4m long, female fish are 5m long with a weight of up to 1,215 kg.
As the name implies, megamouth sharks have a mouth of remarkable size (can be up to 1.m long, have many small teeth along with a wide and round snout, making them easily mistaken for a fish). young orcas.
The animal’s mouth is covered with a luminescent organ that can glow in the dark to attract floating creatures as well as small fish.
Megamouth sharks are viviparous, meaning young sharks grow in eggs in the mother’s womb and hatch right in the mother’s womb.
Until 2012, only 54 individuals of megamouth sharks were found.
They are discovered in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The largest number of individuals found in Japan and Taiwan (10 in each country).
Megamouth sharks are also found in waters near Hawaii, California, Mexico, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil…
The main food of largemouth sharks is plankton.
They do not have scary sharp teeth like their namesake.
The animal’s moving speed is about 1.5–2.1 km/h.
This type of vertical movement has been recorded in many other marine species as they forage to follow the movement of food sources (floating organisms) along the sea water column.
In particular, a shark caught in March 2009 was said to have dived up to 200 m deep.
On March 30, 2009, on Burias Island in the Philippines, a megamouth shark weighing approximately 880–1,100 pounds (400–500 kg), 4 meters (13 ft) long, became trapped in a fisherman’s net and died in the sea. there
The animal was then brought near Donsol in Sorsogon province for research before being butchered and sold.