---
title: "What the sources say about the Megamouth Shark | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "42 claims from the Megamouth Shark profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Megamouth Shark (*Megachasma pelagios*)

> 42 claims from the Megamouth Shark profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Megamouth Shark](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/megamouth-shark/)

## Kyne, Liu & Simpfendorfer (2019). Megachasma pelagios. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T39338A124402302.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2019-1.rlts.t39338a124402302.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |

## Duchatelet et al. (2020). The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is not a luminous species. PLOS ONE.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242196

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 2020 study found no light organs in any of the skin it examined, strong evidence that the shark is not luminous. | the absence of any typical light organ (shark photophore) in all studied skin zones, highly suggest that the megamouth shark is not a luminous species (note: Year 2020 is the paper's publication year (received 2020 Jul 27, accepted 2020 Oct 29).) |
| The band's denticles, tiny tooth-like scales, may instead reflect glow from bioluminescent plankton. | might rather reflect the light produced by bioluminescent planktonic preys, thanks to the denticles of the white band |
| Researchers who examined its skin in 2020 found no sign that it emits light. | Results demonstrated ( i ) the absence of either extrinsic or intrinsic luminescence (note: Year 2020 is the paper's publication year.) |
| Its pale snout band may simply bounce back the glow of the luminous plankton it eats. | might rather reflect the light produced by bioluminescent planktonic preys, thanks to the denticles of the white band |

## Yu et al. (2021). Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios, Inferred from over 250 Individuals Recorded in the Three Oceans. Animals.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102947

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 2021 study counted 261 landing and stranding records worldwide, with the majority from the western North Pacific. | A total of 261 landing/stranding records were examined ... The majority of M. pelagios are found in the western North Pacific Ocean (>5° N). (note: Year 2021 is the paper's publication year.) |
| A 2021 study of global records counted 261 landings and strandings. | A total of 261 landing/stranding records were examined (note: Year 2021 is the paper's publication year.) |
| a 2021 study notes that what is known of its biology and fisheries is still very limited | its biological and fishery information is still very limited (note: Year 2021 is the paper's publication year.) |

## Liu et al. (2018). Genetic diversity and connectivity of the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios). PeerJ.

https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4432

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Scientists named it in 1983 | was described as a new species in 1983 |
| A study of 27 megamouths caught off eastern Taiwan | Tissues from 27 megamouth sharks caught by drift nets off the Hualien coast (eastern Taiwan) |
| weighed 210 to 1,147 kg | total weights ranging 210–1,147 kg |
| It was a new species. | was described as a new species in 1983 |

## Megachasma pelagios. Florida Museum of Natural History.

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/megachasma-pelagios/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| 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. | Scientists believe that this shark swims slowly through aggregations of euphausiid shrimp (“krill”) and other small prey with its mouth open (A). Protruding its jaws and expanding the buccal cavity in order to suck the prey inside (B). |
| Then it shuts its mouth and squeezes the water out through its gills. | The mouth is closed and the jaws retracted. This action decreases the pharyngeal volume and makes possible the expelling of water through the gill openings |
| Each jaw has about fifty rows of small teeth, but only three rows are in use. | approximately fifty rows of small and numerous teeth on each jaw, but only three rows are functional |
| A white band runs across the front of its snout. | White band on the anterior surface of the snout. |
| its skin is very loose and its skeleton is soft and poorly calcified | a soft, and poorly calcified cartilaginous skeleton; very soft, loose skin |
| The Florida Museum calls it a poor swimmer. | the megamouth is considered to be 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. | It remained at a depth of 12 – 25 m (39 – 82 ft.) during the night, then dove to 120–160 m (390–520 ft.), at dawn and returned to shallow waters at dusk. |
| Indian, Pacific and Atlantic | Locations include Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. |
| Thought to cruise through krill swarms and suck prey in by pushing its jaws forward | Scientists believe that this shark swims slowly through aggregations of euphausiid shrimp (“krill”) and other small prey with its mouth open (A). Protruding its jaws and expanding the buccal cavity in order to suck the prey inside (B). |
| A filter-feeding shark | All analyzed specimens presented euphausiid shrimp in the stomach, indicating a filter-feeding habit |
| Spread across three oceans | Locations include Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. |
| A tracked megamouth stayed 12 to 25 m down through the night, then went to 120 to 160 m at dawn | It remained at a depth of 12 – 25 m (39 – 82 ft.) during the night, then dove to 120–160 m (390–520 ft.), at dawn and returned to shallow waters at dusk. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios. Australian Museum.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/megamouth-shark-megachasma-pelagios/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In November 1976, a research ship hauled in two parachute sea anchors off Hawaii and found a 4.46 m shark tangled in one. | The first Megamouth specimen known was collected off Kaneohe, Hawaii on 15 November 1976. The research vessel AFB-14 of the Naval Undersea Centre had deployed two large parachutes as sea anchors ... When these parachutes were hauled aboard, the crew found a 4.46 m long male Megamouth Shark entangled in one of them. |
| A filter-feeding shark first known from 1976, when one got tangled in a research ship's parachute anchor | The first Megamouth specimen known was collected off Kaneohe, Hawaii on 15 November 1976. The research vessel AFB-14 of the Naval Undersea Centre had deployed two large parachutes as sea anchors ... the crew found a 4.46 m long male Megamouth Shark entangled in one of them. |

## Megachasma pelagios, Megamouth shark. FishBase.

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Megachasma-pelagios.html

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Greek for "yawning hole" or "open mouth" | megas (Gr.), large; chasma (Gr.), yawning hole or open mouth |
| The mouth is very broad, and its corners reach back past the eyes. | Mouth very broad and terminal on head, with corner extending behind the eyes |
| The jaws are huge and can slide forward. | Jaws huge, protrusible anteriorly |
| Its prey includes krill, copepods (tiny crustaceans) and jellyfish. | Feeds on planktivorous prey such as euphausiid shrimps, copepods and jellyfish |
| Plankton such as krill, copepods and jellyfish | Feeds on planktivorous prey such as euphausiid shrimps, copepods and jellyfish |
| FishBase gives a maximum length of 709 cm for a female, about 23 feet. | 709.0 cm TL (female) (note: 709 cm is about 23.3 ft; 'Max length' line on the page.) |
| The megamouth lives in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, between about 40 degrees north and 40 degrees south. | Deep-water; 40°N - 40°S, 180°W - 180°E (note: Oceans from the Florida Museum page: 'Locations include Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans.') |
| usually 120 to 166 m down | depth range 5 - 600 m (Ref. 58302 ), usually 120 - 166 m |
| assessed in 2018 | Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 09 November 2018 (note: FishBase cites Red List version 2025-2 (Global), so 2018 is still the current assessment.) |
| The longest on FishBase is a 709 cm female, roughly 23 feet. | 709.0 cm TL (female) (note: 709 cm is about 23.3 ft; 'Max length' line on the page.) |
| Its record for a male or unsexed shark is shorter, at 549 cm. | Max length : 549 cm TL male/unsexed |
| FishBase rates its threat to humans as harmless. | Threat to humans
Harmless |
| It feeds on plankton such as krill, copepods and jellyfish | Feeds on planktivorous prey such as euphausiid shrimps, copepods and jellyfish |
| its teeth are very small | Teeth very small, numerous, hooked |
| Its teeth are small. | Teeth very small, numerous, hooked |

## Megachasma pelagios (Megamouth Shark). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Megachasma_pelagios/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| 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 only recorded predator of megamouth sharks is cookiecutter sharks ( Isistius brasiliensis ). In 1998, three sperm whales ( Physeter catodon ) were seen attacking a 5-m-long megamouth shark in Indonesian waters |