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Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983

Megamouth shark
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Megachasma pelagios   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Megachasma pelagios (Megamouth shark)
Megachasma pelagios
Male picture by Carvalho Filho, A.


Australia country information

Common names: Megamouth shark
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: The Australian record is based on one beach-stranded specimen found in Mandurah, Western Australia. Also Ref. 96339.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Last, P.R. and J.D. Stevens, 1994
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names ຊື່ສາມັນ | ຄຳສັບຄ້າຍຄືກັນ | Catalog of Fishes(ຕະກຸນ, ຊະນິດ) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

ກຸ່ມປາກະດູກອ່ອນ (ເຊັ່ນ: ປາສະຫລາມ, ປາຜາໄລ) (sharks and rays) > Lamniformes (Mackerel sharks) > Megachasmidae (Megamouth sharks)
Etymology: Megachasma: megas (Gr.), large; chasma (Gr.), yawning hole or open mouth, referring to its unusually large oral cavity. (See ETYFish);  pelagios: Greek for “of the sea,” referring to its oceanic, epipelagic habitat. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range ນິເວດວິທະຍາ

ສັດທະເລ; ປາທີ່ມີການເຄື່ອນຍ້າຍໃນສະເພາະມາະຫາສະມຸດ (Ref. 51243); ລະດັບຄວາມເລິກ 5 - 600 m (Ref. 58302), usually 120 - 166 m (Ref. 48844).   Deep-water; 40°N - 40°S, 180°W - 180°E

ການແຜ່ກະຈາຍ ປະເທດ | ເຂດ FAO | ລະບົບນິເວດ | ການປະກົດຕົວ | Point map | ການແນະນຳ | Faunafri

Pacific Ocean: Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii and California, USA. Atlantic Ocean: Brazil and Senegal.

Length at first maturity / ຂະໜາດ / ນ້ຳໜັກ / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 540 - ? cm
Max length : 549 cm TL ຕົວຜູ້/ບໍ່ມີເພດ; (Ref. 85838); 709.0 cm TL (female)

Short description ຕົວທີ່ໃຊ້ໃນການຈຳແນກຊະນິດ | ສະລີລະວິທະຍາ | ການວັດແທກຮູບຮ່າງລັກສະນະພາຍນອກຂອງດິນ,ສັດ,ປາ…

ຄີ (ໜາມ)ແຂງຢູ່ຫຼັງປາ (ທັງໝົດ) : 0; ສັດທີ່ມີກະດູກສັນຫຼັງ: 125. Body stout, tapering posteriorly (Ref. 6871), tadpole-like with larger head and tapering trunk and tail (Ref. 47786). Snout extremely short but broadly rounded (Ref 43278, 47786). Head huge, blubbery (Ref. 6871). Mouth very broad and terminal on head, with corner extending behind the eyes (Ref. 6871, 43278). Jaws huge, protrusible anteriorly but not greatly distensible laterally (Ref. 43278, 47786), lower jaw extending to snout tip (Ref. 6871). Teeth very small, numerous, hooked (Ref. 43278, 6871, 47787). Gill slits moderately long, not reaching dorsal surface of head (Ref. 6871; 43278), internal gill slits lined with dense rows of papillose gill rakers (Ref. 43278). Eyes semicircular (Ref. 47786), with no nictitating membrane (Ref. 43278, 6871, 47786). Two dorsal fins, relatively low and angular; small anal fin; long, narrow pectoral fins; moderate-sized pelvic fin; caudal fin asymmetrical, non-lunate, with a short and strong ventral lobe; upper pre-caudal pit only; caudal peduncle without keels or ridges (Ref, 6871, 43278).

ຊີວະສາດ     ຄຳແປສັບ (ຕ.ຢ. epibenthic)

Oceanic, possibly occurring in depths between 150 and 1,000 m (Ref. 6871). Epi- and mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on planktivorous prey such as euphausiid shrimps, copepods and jellyfish (Ref. 6871). May also eat small midwater fishes. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Possibly less active than the basking and whale sharks (Ref. 6871). Its feeding habits and habitat suggest that it may be a rare catch in the future. Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother (Ref. 50449). Males mature by 400 cm (Ref. 6871). A bright white band on the snout just above the upper jaw may play a role in feeding behavior or with recognition of individuals (Ref. 47761). Preyed on by the semi-parasitic cookiecutter shark, Isistius brasiliensis.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | ການສືບພັນ | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | ຕົວອ່ອນ

Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding on other ova produced by the mother (oophagy) after the yolk sac is absorbed (Ref. 50449). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Size at birth <177 cm (Ref. 85838).

Main reference Upload your references | ເອກະສານອ້າງອີງ | ຜູ້ປະສານງານ | ຜູ້ຮ່ວມມື

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)


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