Rare Megamouth Sharks Spotted in San Diego for the First Time

Megamouth sharks are extremely elusive, and not much is known about them. However, a pair of rare fish have been spotted swimming off the coast of San Diego.

Megamouth Sharks in San Diego

Fishermen captured a video of megamouth sharks in early September 2022. The deep-dwelling beasts appear to be in a courtship ritual. It was one of the rare sightings of the sea creatures. In fact, it was the first time ever that megamouth sharks were spotted in the area, Live Science reported.

According to a new study, based on the footage, the two sharks were engaging in courtship or mating behaviors.

Research main author Zachary Skelton, a doctoral student at the University of California, San Diego, said the interest of these fishermen helped the field as a whole because the only information they had on megamouth shark sociality was contained in the 10 minutes the fisherman spent with the sharks.

Christopher G. Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, who was not involved in the study, told Live Science in an email that it's pretty rare to observe a megamouth shark, let alone two at a time swimming at the surface during the day. Skelton and colleagues examined the video in light of what they could find in the literature on the social interactions of other filter-feeder sharks, such as basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) and whale sharks, better to understand megamouth shark behavior (Rhincodon typus). They had to rely significantly on other studies and species because the interaction was brief to know why the sharks were at the surface and were grouped.

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The team believed the smaller of the two sharks was male due to the visible male sex organs known as claspers. They couldn't confirm the sex of the other one, but they believed it was female due to the obvious absence of claspers and the presence of scars on its back, which is similar to the mating scars that female sharks from other species also have.

The researchersconcludedn that the video most likely depicts a courtship display because the male was observed closely following the presumed female shark, and neither shark was seen attempting to eat. The study results were published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes.

What Is a Megamouth Shark?

Megamouth shark is a rare shark and a large species. They can grow up to 16 feet long and weigh up to 2,700 pounds (1,215 kilograms). Their mouth is approximately four feet across, according to Oceana.

They have only been observed in the wild a few times, and less than 60 individuals are captured or observed by scientists.

These deep sea creatures live 15,000 feet below the surface and only come near the surface at night. They spend most of their lives in the dark.

Megamouth sharks are filter feeders and swim with their mouths wide open to filter out their planktonic prey. Their mouths are covered with light-producing organs that attract pelagic crustaceans and other potential prey.

Although megamouth sharks are among the largest in the world, they were only discovered in 1976 when one was accidentally entangled in a sea anchor attached to deep naval equipment near Hawaii.