Megamouth shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Megamouth shark | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Megachasmidae |
| Genus: | Megachasma |
| Species: | M. pelagios |
| Binomial name | |
| Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno and Struhsaker, 1983 |
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| Range of megamouth shark (in blue) | |
The Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is a large, slow-swimming, timid shark that was only discovered in 1976. Only 14 examples of this rare species have ever been found, mostly in the Pacific Ocean. Off the coast of Indonesia, three Sperm whales were observed attacking a Megamouth shark (the 13th observed megamouth).
Diet [change]
The Megamouth shark filter-feeds, eating tiny organisms, including zooplankton (like tiny crustaceans) and phytoplankton. It feeds near the suface at night (it is nocturnal), but each day it descends to a depth of 650 ft (200 m).
