subject: The Megamouth Shark [print this page] If you enjoy fantastic ecosystems and love the ocean, Mexico is a great place to visit. The ocean still holds many mysteries for scientists, and others, and fewer people have seen the bottom of the depths of the ocean than have been in orbit around Earth. New aquatic life is discovered each year and deep dives have resulted in the discovery of hundreds of new creatures. Something of the stuff of legend, the colossal squid is another recent find that seems to confirm the stories of long ago mariners. If you do happen to make it to the waters of Mexico, keep your eyes open for the very elusive Megamouth Shark, especially if you wish to gain a little notoriety for yourself, as well.
With so few sightings, the megamouth seems to be a very rare species; only 54 specimens have been caught or seen, since it's discovery more than 35 years ago. One body is on display in Japan and it has been studied by a few scientists, but to date only three film recordings of the megamouth in the ocean exist.. This animal is so unique that it exists in its own taxonomical family, Megachasmidae, and is the only species in it.
The megamouth is very odd-looking, to be sure. It is brownish-black in color, with a white belly, and has an asymmetrical tail. It's a poor swimmer, judging from its structure; it is quite large, despite its soft body, and it can grow up to 18 feet long. The mouth is huge, but has small teeth that protrude from a rounded, broad snout. It actually consumes plankton and jellyfish by swimming around with its jaws open, filtering out the water once its prey is trapped (regardless of it's larger-than-life name).
Not much else is known about the megamouth shark aside from these characteristics. It's estimated that it swims in the temperate ocean zones all over the world and it has been captured off the coast of several different countries, including Mexico. A commercial boat caught an immature female accidentally in 2006, off the coast of Baja California, and this was one of the first megamouths captured.
A male was captured in the same area as recently as June, 2011. It was sent to the city of Ensenada for examination and dissection. If you're vacationing on the coast of the country, keep an eye out for this very odd shark; some previous sightings have mistaken it for a small Orca whale. Keep your camera at the ready!
