--- title: "Megamouth Shark (Megachasma pelagios) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A filter-feeding shark first known from 1976, when one got tangled in a research ship's parachute anchor." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/megamouth-shark-1.webp" published: "2026-10-10" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Megamouth Shark (*Megachasma pelagios*) > **Status**: Checked against 8 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A filter-feeding shark first known from 1976, when one got tangled in a research ship's parachute anchor. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Dream Pop & Shoegaze // Mazzy Star, "Fade Into You" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/1LzNfuep1bnAUR9skqdHCK) > **Vibe Match**: A tracked megamouth stayed 12 to 25 m down through the night, then went to 120 to 160 m at dawn. Fade Into You moves with the same slow, unhurried sink. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Megachasma pelagios* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2019-1.rlts.t39338a124402302.en)) - **Superpower**: Thought to cruise through krill swarms and suck prey in by pushing its jaws forward - **Habitat**: Open ocean in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic, usually 120 to 166 m down - **Diet**: Plankton such as krill, copepods and jellyfish - **Tags**: shark, cartilaginous, filter-feeder, pelagic, giant-size ## Natural History & Behavior ## A shark found in a parachute In November 1976, a research ship hauled in two parachute sea anchors off Hawaii and found a 4.46 m shark tangled in one. It was a new species. Scientists named it in 1983 and called it *Megachasma*, Greek for "yawning hole" or "open mouth". ## A mouth built to scoop The mouth is very broad, and its corners reach back past the eyes. The jaws are huge and can slide forward. Scientists believe the shark swims slowly through a swarm of krill (small shrimp-like crustaceans) with its mouth open, pushes its jaws forward and expands its mouth cavity to suck the prey in. Then it shuts its mouth and squeezes the water out through its gills. Its teeth are small. Each jaw has about fifty rows of small teeth, but only three rows are in use. Its prey includes krill, copepods (tiny crustaceans) and jellyfish. > **Light trick** > A white band runs across the front of its snout. A 2020 study found no light organs in any of the skin it examined, strong evidence that the shark is not luminous. The band's denticles, tiny tooth-like scales, may instead reflect glow from bioluminescent plankton. ## Soft, slow and huge A study of 27 megamouths caught off eastern Taiwan found they weighed 210 to 1,147 kg. FishBase gives a maximum length of 709 cm for a female, about 23 feet. This is a soft giant: its skin is very loose and its skeleton is soft and poorly calcified. The Florida Museum calls it a poor swimmer. One tracked shark stayed at 12 to 25 m during the night, then dived to 120 to 160 m at dawn and returned to shallow water at dusk. ## Spread across three oceans The megamouth lives in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, between about 40 degrees north and 40 degrees south. A 2021 study counted 261 landing and stranding records worldwide, with the majority from the western North Pacific. Animal Diversity Web names cookiecutter sharks as a predator, and in 1998 three sperm whales were seen attacking a 5 m megamouth in Indonesian waters. The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern, assessed in 2018, but a 2021 study notes that what is known of its biology and fisheries is still very limited. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How big does a megamouth shark get? The longest on FishBase is a 709 cm female, roughly 23 feet. Its record for a male or unsexed shark is shorter, at 549 cm. *(Source: [FishBase]())* ### Is the megamouth shark dangerous to people? FishBase rates its threat to humans as harmless. It feeds on plankton such as krill, copepods and jellyfish, and its teeth are very small. *(Source: [FishBase]())* ### Does the megamouth shark glow in the dark? Probably not. Researchers who examined its skin in 2020 found no sign that it emits light. Its pale snout band may simply bounce back the glow of the luminous plankton it eats. *(Source: [Duchatelet et al. 2020]())* ### How many megamouth sharks have been recorded? A 2021 study of global records counted 261 landings and strandings. *(Source: [Yu et al. 2021]())* ## Sources 1. [Kyne, Liu & Simpfendorfer (2019). Megachasma pelagios. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T39338A124402302.]() 2. [Duchatelet et al. (2020). The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is not a luminous species. PLOS ONE.]() 3. [Yu et al. (2021). Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios, Inferred from over 250 Individuals Recorded in the Three Oceans. Animals.]() 4. [Liu et al. (2018). Genetic diversity and connectivity of the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios). PeerJ.]() 5. [Megachasma pelagios. Florida Museum of Natural History.]() 6. [Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios. Australian Museum.]() 7. [Megachasma pelagios, Megamouth shark. FishBase.]() 8. [Megachasma pelagios (Megamouth Shark). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() *Published October 10, 2026. 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