Megamouth shark
Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983
LCLeast Concernsharks and rays
The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, classified in the family Megachasmidae of the order Lamniformes. It is the species Megachasma pelagios in the genus Megachasma and the class Elasmobranchii, and is also called the Big mouth shark.
Quick facts about the megamouth shark
The species was named by Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983. The IUCN Red List assesses the megamouth shark globally as Least Concern (LC), which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- 4 m – 5.5 msrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the megamouth shark?
Photos of the megamouth shark
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the megamouth shark live?
Not recorded
What is the megamouth shark?
The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is a species of deepwater shark. Rarely seen by humans, it measures around 4–5.5 m (13–18 ft) long and is the smallest of the three extant filter-feeding sharks alongside the much larger whale shark and basking shark. According to Sharkman's World Organization, a total of 296 specimens have been observed or caught since its discovery in 1976. Like the other two planktivorous sharks, it swims with its mouth wide open, filtering water for plankton and jellyfish. The diet of megamouth sharks mainly consists of zooplanktonic organisms like krill, jellyfish, shrimp larvae, squat lobsters, and crab larvae. It is recognizable from its large head with rubbery lips. The megamouth is so unlike any other type of shark that it is usually considered to be the sole extant species in the family Megachasmidae, though some scientists have suggested it may belong in the family Cetorhinidae.
From the Wikipedia article “Megamouth shark” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Megamouth_shark&oldid=1383290551), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the megamouth shark endangered?
The megamouth shark is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.
How is the megamouth shark classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classElasmobranchii
- orderLamniformes
- familyMegachasmidae
- genusMegachasma
- SpeciesMegachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983
Synonyms Megachasma plagios
Other names and names in other languages (29)
- Big mouth sharkEnglish
- Акула-велікаротBelarusian
- tauró bocaampleCatalan
- žralok velkoústýCzech
- KæmpemundDanish
- RiesenmaulhaiGerman
- tiburón bocónSpanish
- tiburón bocudoSpanish
- kitahaiFinnish
- SuurisuuhaiFinnish
- requin grande gueuleFrench
- Requin grande-gueuleFrench
- Óriásszájú cápaHungarian
- Hiu bermulut besarIndonesian
- Squalo bocca grandeItalian
- メガマウスJapanese
- メガマウスザメJapanese
- ReuzenbekhaaiDutch
- Rekin wielkogębowyPolish
- Tubarão-boca-grandePortuguese
- Пелагическая большеротая акулаRussian
- JättemunhajSwedish
- ปลาฉลามปากกว้างThai
- ปลาฉลามเมกาเมาท์Thai
- Dev ağızlı köpekbalığıTurkish
- 大沙Chinese
- 大口鯊Chinese
- 巨口鮫Chinese
- 巨口鯊Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the megamouth shark
Other species in the same order Lamniformes.
Great white shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Megalodon
Otodus megalodon
Basking shark
Cetorhinus maximus
Goblin shark
Mitsukurina owstoni
Porbeagle
Lamna nasus
Common thresher
Alopias vulpinus
CompareMegamouth shark vs Great white sharkMegamouth shark vs MegalodonMegamouth shark vs Basking sharkMegamouth shark vs Goblin shark
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the megamouth shark?
The megamouth shark is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Megachasmidae in the order Lamniformes.
What is the scientific name of the megamouth shark?
The scientific name of the megamouth shark is Megachasma pelagios, in the genus Megachasma.
Who named the megamouth shark and when?
The megamouth shark was named by Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983.
Is the megamouth shark endangered?
No. The megamouth shark is listed as Least Concern (LC) in the global IUCN Red List assessment, which is not a threatened category.
What other names does the megamouth shark have?
The megamouth shark is also called the Big mouth shark.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
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CreatureData. (2026). Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/megamouth-shark
“Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/megamouth-shark.
@misc{megamouth_shark_2026,
title = {Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/megamouth-shark},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}