Central Idea
- In a historic moment for marine biology, a pregnant megamouth shark, a rare and elusive deepwater species, was discovered washed up on a beach in the Philippines.
- This is only the 60th ever seen and the first ever observed to be pregnant.
About Megamouth Shark
Details |
|
| Scientific Name | Megachasma pelagios |
| Discovery | First discovered in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii. |
| Appearance | Large mouth, bulbous head, rubbery lip, dark grey/black body with a white underbelly. |
| Size | Up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in length. |
| Diet | Filter feeder, consuming plankton, jellyfish, and small fish. |
| Habitat | Deepwater species, found at depths of 150 to 1,000 meters (490 to 3,280 feet). |
| Behavior | Rarely seen, swims with mouth open to filter food. |
| Reproduction | Presumed to be ovoviviparous, but details are largely unknown. |
| Distribution | Wide but rare distribution in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. |
| Conservation Status | Least Concerned (IUCN) |
| Scientific Interest | Valued for its unique anatomy and role in the deep-sea ecosystem. |
