Species: Megachasma pelagios, Megamouth shark

snout very short, wide & flat

teeth very small, many rows
Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983
Megamouth shark
Body cylindrical, somewhat compressed, robust, tapering to rear; head bulbous, wide & very long; snout very short, flattened, broad, rounded; eyes moderately large; mouth very large, opens at front of head, extends behind eyes; gill openings 5, moderately long, last 2 over pectoral base; gill rakers = finger-like papillae; teeth very small, narrow and hooked, smooth edges, > 85-100 rows on each jaw; 2 relatively low , angular dorsal fins; 1st dorsal fin origin nearer pectoral bases than pelvics; 2nd dorsal < 1/2 size of 1st dorsal, midway between pelvics and anal fins; pectorals large, long and narrow; pelvics moderate sized; anal fin smaller than 2nd dorsal; tail fin with long upper lobe, lower lobe short, strong; tail base compressed, without keels.
Blue black to dark brown above, belly paler; a white stripe along top edge of mouth; lining of mouth silver; pectoral and pelvic tips white.
Reaches at least 550 cm
A pelagic filter feeder.
Depth range: 5-600m, usually 120-165 m.
Rare, known from scattered localities in all three oceans; Puerto Rico to Brazil

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Hypersaline
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Surface
- Near Surface
- Mid Water
- Water column only
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Pelagic crustacea
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Live birth
- Global Endemism
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- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s) only
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 550
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 600