Where do megamouth sharks live?
The megamouth, believed to be diurnal – meaning the creature mostly operates during the day – regularly alternates between the shallow and deep waters of mostly Taiwan and Japan, but has also been observed travelling from the Atlantic Ocean right through to the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Do megamouth sharks have predators?
The only known predators to the Megamouth are sperm whales and cookie cutter sharks. Cookie Cutter sharks are small, deep water sharks, that leave round wounds on the bodies of larger ocean animals, where it bites out chunks of flesh.
Where does the megamouth shark eat?
It is one of the three species of sharks that are fed by filtration of plankton. Its diet may include shrimp, copepods, and pelagic jellyfish.
What are the adaptations of a megamouth shark?
Megamouth’s specializations for filter-feeding include greatly reduced teeth and papillose gill rakers; its adaptations to the cold, nutrient-poor mesopelagic zone include mushy muscles and a poorly-calcified skeleton.
What does a megamouth shark do?
Like many species with a deep-sea affinity, scientists believe megamouth sharks only come near the surface at night and spend most of their lives in the dark. They are filter feeders and swim with their mouths constantly wide open in order to filter out their preferred planktonic prey.
What is the scientific name for a megamouth shark?
Megachasma pelagios
Megamouth shark/Scientific names
Do megamouth sharks exist?
The megamouth shark is a rare shark and a large species, reaching weights of 2700 pounds (1215 kg). However, it is the smallest of the three species of filter-feeding sharks, behind the whale shark and the basking shark. The megamouth shark gets its name from the remarkably large, circular mouth.
Do megamouth sharks migrate?
Little is known about this species of shark. It is not known whether they are solitary or not. These diurnal fish vertically migrate to the surface at night and go back to the deep sea during the daytime as they feed on different prey that possibly follows this daily migratory pattern.
What does a megamouth shark eat?
plankton
What does the megamouth shark eat? The prey of this shark includes krill, plankton, jellyfish, shrimp, and copepods.
How does a megamouth shark behave?
Is a megamouth shark a carnivore?
Megamouth Shark Predators and Prey These sharks are carnivores, filter-feeding on very small prey. This means it swims along slowly with its mouth open, sifting through the water in search of small sea creatures to eat.
How do megamouth sharks sleep?
How Do Sharks Sleep? Sharks don’t sleep. Instead, they have active and rest periods, wherein they either preserve or expel energy.
What are physical Charateristics of a megamouth shark?
Physical Characteristics. The appearance of the megamouth is distinctive, but little else is known about it. It has a brownish-black colour on top, is white underneath, and has an asymmetrical tail with a long upper lobe, similar to that of the thresher shark. The interior of its gill slits are lined with finger-like gill rakers that capture its food.
What ocean does the megamouth shark live in?
Today, megamouth sharks are known in all tropical waters, with the exception of the western Indian Ocean. In all likelihood, this species inhabits all tropical waters and is probably more frequent than it appears by virtue of its vertical migration.
Is the megamouth shark dangerous?
Black on the back and white on the belly, megamouth sharks can be seen year-round in deep, dark parts of the ocean. Their common name stems from their massive mouths. Though they appear to be fierce and dangerous, they actually feed on plankton and other tiny creatures. For this reason, their teeth are incredibly small.