Shark

ny shark lover knows that not all sharks are fierce predators with a mouth full of teeth. The whale shark, the largest shark, feeds on millions of tiny plankton in massive gulps, and is a favorite species recognizable by most. But the elusive megamouth? Mention this behemoth and you’ll likely be met with blank stares. This filter feeding shark isn’t even well known among marine biologists. In fact, shark scientists know very little about the basic biology of megamouth sharks.

How is it that we know so little about the third largest shark in the world? Megamouth sharks live far offshore and likely spend much of their time deep underwater. Just over 100 megamouth shark sightings have been recorded since their discovery and many of these were the result of entanglement in fishing gear. A few specimens, like the one newly acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, are preserved in museums and institutions and are the basis for a lot of what we know about them.