NATURAL WORLD FACTS
Megamouth Sharks
The Megamouth Shark swims with its mouth open wide to filter plankton from the water. They spend most of their lives down here in the Abyss, at times descending to 15,000 feet below.
Common Name | Scientific Name | Diet | Size | Depth | Ecosystem/Habitat | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Megamouth Shark | Megachasma pelagios | Megamouth sharks are filter feeders, eating krill and plankton. | 18 feet (5.5 m) | 15,000 feet (4600 m) | Coastal to open ocean. | Abyssopelagic Zone |
Megamouth Sharks
Lurking in the cold depths of the ocean, the megamouth shark swims with his mouth open wide to filter plankton from the water. They spend most of their lives down here in the dark, at times
descending to fifteen thousand feet below. However, a tag placed on a megamouth in the early 1990s provided evidence that this shark follows 24-hour cycles, spending its days in deep water and emerging at the surface at night.
Similar to Greenland sharks and other creatures of the depths, the megamouth exhibits deep-sea gigantism, with one specimen found off the coast of Taiwan measuring more than 23 feet long. But with pectoral fins smaller than its enlarged head, and an asymmetrical caudal fin, it is not a skilled swimmer. A shark of this size would be enough to make many terrified. And yet it poses no threat to us. It is one of only three known filter-feeding sharks, including the basking shark and whale shark, and like them it cruises through shoals of krill with his mouth wide open.
What's unique to this shark however is its ability to push out its jaw and suck the prey inside. There are fifty rows of tiny hooked teeth on each jaw, though it only uses the first three rows. The inside of the mouth is covered with light-producing organs called photophores that are believed to attract small prey. This is a useful tool to possess down in the abyssopelagic zone as there is no penetration of natural light from above.
Despite being among the largest sharks in our seas, the mega mouth was not discovered for the first time until 1976 when a US Navy research vessel hauled up an adult male specimen of the coast of Hawaii. The discovery of a shark like this was so unexpected that a new family, genus and species was created just to classify a fish so strange. Since that day, there have only been around fifty confirmed sightings. This raises the question what other deep-sea giants are out there waiting to be discovered.
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CREATURE COLLECTIONS
Fish
With enlarged eyes, bioluminescent photophores, and often growing to enormous sizes, fish of the deep are oddly fascinating.
Invertebrates
The deeper you dive beneath the waves, the larger the invertebrates become. This demonstrates the phenomenon of deep sea gigantism.
Marine Mammals
Many mammals, from seals to the mighty cetaceans of the open seas, frequent the depths of the ocean, diving down in search of prey.
Reptiles
Though they may not dominate the seas as they once did, reptiles still play a vital part in the marine ecosystem, from turtles to sea snakes.
Sharks & Rays
The depths are home to some of the ocean's largest sharks, from Greenland sharks to Sixgills. As apex predators, they have a key role in the ecosystem.
ARTICLE COLLECTIONS
All
Read our in-depth write-ups about the environment, ecosystems, adaptations, and discoveries related to the deep sea. Individual animal profiles can be found by clicking 'fact files' in the menu above.
Exploration
Ah, the ocean. Rolling blue waves, picturesque seascapes, and a bottomless abyss of sheer darkness. With only 5% of the ocean having been discovered, there is much to explore.
Environment
Environmental degradation has reached even the isolated depths of the ocean, a realm we know little about, yet have caused much damage to with our destructive nature.
Ecosystems
We are only now beginning to understand the importance of deep sea ecosystems, from hydrothermal vents that mitigate climate change, to whale-falls that provide a large carbon sink.
Adaptations
To survive in the abyss, life has to overcome some extreme challenges. Thus, we find creatures with peculiar morphologies and astounding adaptations. Let's take a look.
