Central Idea

In a historic moment for marine biology, a pregnant megamouth shark, a rare and elusive deepwater species, was discovered washed up on a beach in the Philippines.
This is only the 60th ever seen and the first ever observed to be pregnant.

About Megamouth Shark

	Details
Scientific Name	Megachasma pelagios
Discovery	First discovered in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii.
Appearance	Large mouth, bulbous head, rubbery lip, dark grey/black body with a white underbelly.
Size	Up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in length.
Diet	Filter feeder, consuming plankton, jellyfish, and small fish.
Habitat	Deepwater species, found at depths of 150 to 1,000 meters (490 to 3,280 feet).
Behavior	Rarely seen, swims with mouth open to filter food.
Reproduction	Presumed to be ovoviviparous, but details are largely unknown.
Distribution	Wide but rare distribution in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
Conservation Status	Least Concerned (IUCN)
Scientific Interest	Valued for its unique anatomy and role in the deep-sea ecosystem.