List of megamouth shark specimens and sightings

Specimen #7 deposited at Marine World Uminonakamichi, Japan
Specimen #37 exhibited at Aburatsubo Marine Park, Japan

This list of megamouth shark specimens and sightings includes recorded human encounters with Megachasma pelagios, popularly known as the megamouth shark. A similar list is published by the Ichthyology Department of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.[1]

List of megamouth sharks

[edit]

Records are listed chronologically in ascending order and numbered accordingly.

  • Date – Date on which the specimen was first captured, found, or observed.
  • Location – Area where the specimen was found.
  • Sex – Sex and sexual maturity of the specimen.
  • Size – Data relating to measurements. Abbreviations used are based on standardised acronyms in ichthyology (see Measurements).
  • Method of capture – Circumstances in which the specimen was recovered or observed.
  • Disposition – Repository or otherwise fate of the specimen.
  • References – Primary sources for each specimen as well as later publications that refer to the specimen.
  • Notes – Miscellaneous information.
# Date Location Sex Size Method of capture Disposition References Notes
1 15 November 1976 25 miles (40 km) off Kāne'ohe, Oahu, Hawaii (21°51′N 157°46′W / 21.850°N 157.767°W / 21.850; -157.767) Male TL: 4.46 m; PCL: 3.091 m (69.3% TL); WT: 750 kg Became entangled in the sea anchor of a United States Navy ship Deposited at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Dunford (1976); Taylor (1977); Cressey & Boyle (1978); Johnson (1978); Taylor et al. (1983); [Anonymous] (1983a, b, c, d, e, f); Maisey (1985); Wood (1986); Gallagher (N.d.) Holotype and first recorded specimen. First examined by Leighton Taylor, who dubbed it "megamouth".
2 29 November 1984 Catalina Island, California Male TL: 4.49 m "Caught" Deposited at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County [Anonymous] (1984a, b); Lavenberg & Seigel (1985); Diamond (1985); Maisey (1985); Wood (1986)
3 18 August 1988 Mandurah, Western Australia Male TL: 5.15 m; PCL: 3.43 m (66.6% TL) Found washed ashore Deposited at Western Australian Museum Berra & Hutchins (1988); [Anonymous] (1988a, b); Nielsen (1988); Berra & Hutchins (1990); Berra & Hutchins (1991)
4 23 January 1989 Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan Male TL: 4+ m Found washed ashore Discarded Nakaya (1989a); Nakaya (1989b)
5 June 1989 Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan Female? TL: ~4.9 m Caught in net Released alive Miya et al. (1992); Mollet (2012) Most likely a female according to John Morrissey.
6 21 October 1990 Dana Point, California Male TL: 4.94 m Found entangled in a drift gillnet Tracked Haight (1990a); Haight (1990b); [Anonymous] (1990a, b, c, d); [Anonymous] (1991a, b); Lavenberg (1991); Nelson et al. (1997) Specimen was taken alive, then fitted with two ultrasonic transmitters and tracked for two days. The shark was observed to move close to the surface at night and deeper during the day.
7 29 November 1994 Hakata Bay, Fukuoka, Japan (34°40′N 130°50′E / 34.667°N 130.833°E / 34.667; 130.833) Immature female TL: 4.71 m; PCL: 3.136 m (66.6% TL) "Stranded" Deposited at Marine World Uminonakamichi (Fukuoka, Japan) Castro (1994); Takada (1994); Takada (1995); Clark & Castro (1995); Castro et al. (1997); Nakaya et al. (1997); Takada et al. (1997); Tanaka & Yano (1997); Yabumoto et al. (1997); Yamaguchi & Nakaya (1997); Yano et al. (1997a); Yano et al. (1997b); Yano et al. (1997c); Goto (1999) First confirmed female; much studied. Numerous papers on this specimen were published in Biology of the Megamouth Shark (1997).
8 4 May 1995 40 miles (64 km) off Dakar, Senegal (15°08′N 18°22′W / 15.133°N 18.367°W / 15.133; -18.367) Immature male TL: ~1.8 m Caught in purse seine of French tuna fishing ship Discarded Séret (1995) First recorded specimen from the Atlantic Ocean and smallest known specimen at the time.
9 18 September 1995 southern Brazil Immature male TL: 1.9 m; WT: 24.4 kg Caught by commercial longline vessel Deposited at Instituto de Pesca in São Paulo, Brazil Castro & Gadig (1995); Amorim et al. (1995); Amorim et al. (2000)
10 30 April 1997 12 miles (19 km) south of Mikizaki, Owase, Mie, Japan (33°44′N 136°16′E / 33.733°N 136.267°E / 33.733; 136.267) at 150 m depth Female TL: 5.44 m; WT: 1,040 kg Caught by fishermen Deposited at Toba Aquarium Yano et al. (1997d); Ito et al. (1999) External brain form and cranial nerves studied in detail.
11 20 February 1998 Macajalar Bay, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Male TL: ~5.49 m Caught by three fishermen Consumed Baldo & Elizaga (1998); Elizaga (1998a); Elizaga (1998b); Reyes (1998); Morrissey & Elizaga (1999); Amorim et al. (2000)
12 23 April 1998 Atawa, Mie, Japan Female TL: 5.2–5.49 m "Captured" Discarded Yano et al. (1998); Amorim et al. (2000); Burgess (N.d.)
13 30 August 1998 Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
(1°46′0″N 124°50′3″E / 1.76667°N 124.83417°E / 1.76667; 124.83417)		 Female? TL: ~5 m Observed being attacked by sperm whales Swam away Pecchioni & Benoldi (1999); Amorim et al. (2000)
14 1 October 1999 30 miles (48 km) west of San Diego, California Female TL: ~17 ft (5.2 m) Caught in a drift gillnet Released alive in good condition Petersen (1999) Four colour photographs taken. Water temperature was 67.2 °F (19.56 °C).
15 19 October 2001 42 miles (68 km) northwest of San Diego, California Male TL: ~18 ft (5.5 m) Caught in a drift gillnet Released alive in good condition Petersen (2001) Tissue biopsy collected. Water temperature was 65.8 °F (18.78 °C).
16 18 January 2002 eastern Indian Ocean (2°17.9′S 88°12.7′E / 2.2983°S 88.2117°E / -2.2983; 88.2117) at 150 m depth Immature male TL: 2.35 m; WT(estimate): >120 kg Caught in tuna purse seine Discarded Boonyapiwat & Vidthayanon (2002) Caught by M/V Seafdec. Sea surface temperature was 26.8 °C.
17 20 April 2002 Nature's Valley near Plettenberg Bay, approximately 400 km east of Cape Town, South Africa (33°59′S 23°34′E / 33.983°S 23.567°E / -33.983; 23.567) Female TL: 3.5 m; WT: 300 kg Found washed ashore Deposited at Port Elizabeth Museum [Anonymous] (2002); Sanchez (2002); Smale (2002); Smale et al. (2002) Collected from the beach by Vic Cockcroft of the Centre for Dolphin Studies. Tissue samples taken. Specimen was examined, measured and dissected by Malcolm Smale and Leonard Compagno. Mould of the animal was used for educational displays.
18 6 January 2003 Tablon, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines ? TL: 4.97 m; BD: 1.01 m Caught by fisherman Consumed Yasay (2003) Caught by fisherman Eldiposo Pabaida. Personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 10 (BFAR 10) measured the specimen and took several photographs.
19 26 May 2003 Dana Point, California ? TL(estimate): 20–25 ft (6–7.6 m); WT (estimate): 5 tons Sighted at sea Released Robbins (2003) Sighted by Scott Caldwell from the Leslie Anne. A rope was temporarily tied around the animal's tail, preventing escape. No photographs taken; unconfirmed sighting.
20 3 July 2003 800 m off Ki-Lei-Bi, Hualien County, Taiwan Male TL: ~2.5 m; WT: 490 kg Caught in net Consumed Mollet (2004) Caught by fisherman Li. Specimen bought by local seafood store. Stomach was found to be empty.
21 7 August 2003 Omaezaki, Shizuoka, Japan Male TL: 4.3 m ? Deposited at Tokai University Furuta (2003); Burgess (N.d.) Prepared for display by taxidermist.
22 8 March 2004 41.6 nautical miles (77.0 km) off Posorja Port, Guayas, Ecuador (2°54.374′S 81°14.858′W / 2.906233°S 81.247633°W / -2.906233; -81.247633) Male TL: 4.2 m; WT: ~600 kg Caught in trammel net Sent to market Romero & Cruz (2004) Caught by small fishing vessel that was unable to bring it aboard. Assisted by the Ecuadorian tuna fish ship Betty Elizabeth. Animal was alive at time of capture and regurgitated food consisting mainly of Engraulis ringens. Surface temperature of the sea was 23.6 °C.
23 13 March 2004 Gapang Beach, northern tip of Sumatra Immature male TL: 1.767 m; WT: 13.82 kg Found washed ashore Deposited at Cibinong Museum Lumba Lumba Dive Centre (2004); White et al. (2004) Smallest recorded specimen. On public display.
24 19 April 2004 Ichihara, Tokyo Bay, Japan Female TL: 5.63 m; WT: 2,679 lb (1,215 kg) Found washed ashore Taxidermy specimen displayed at the Natural History Museum and Institute Osedo (2004) Survived several days before dying from stress. Identified by Masaki Miya, curator of fishes at the National History Museum and Institute in Chiba.
25 23 April 2004 off Ajiro, Shizuoka, Japan Female TL: ~4.9 m Caught by fishermen Discarded Furuta (2004) Japanese newspaper article mentions total length of 5.5-5.6 m and weight of "1", implying over 1 ton.
26 4 November 2004 Barangay Namocon, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines Female TL: 5.04 m; WT: ~1 ton Stranded on beach Preserved in tank at SEAFDEC Museum [Anonymous] (2004); Bagarinao (2004) Stranded alive at around 5 pm and died at around 10 pm. Removed from the beach by 16 fishermen. Preserved in 10% formalin in a 1-ton fiberglass tank.
27 23 January 2005 off Kisei cho Nishiki, Mie, Japan, at 200 m depth Female TL: 5.28 m Caught in purse seine Deposited at Toba Aquarium Furuta (2005) Prepared by taxidermist for display at the aquarium.
28 30 January 2005 Macajalar Bay, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Female? TL: 4.17 m; WT: ~1,000 kg Caught in net Buried Elizaga (2005a); Elizaga (2005b); Lumingkit et al. (2005); Ellorin (2005) Caught by fisherman Sofronio Casañares. It pulled Casañares's paddle-driven banca for around an hour before stopping, apparently due to exhaustion. Specimen was dissected prior to burial.
29 ~25 April 2005 Hualien Port, Hualien County, Taiwan ? WT: 580 kg Caught by ocean sunfish driftnetters Sold at market for human consumption Wang & Yang (2005a) Described by fishermen as "big mouthed shark with no teeth".
30 2 May 2005 Hualien Port, Hualien County, Taiwan ? WT: 580 kg Caught by ocean sunfish driftnetters Sold at market for human consumption Wang & Yang (2005b) Described by fishermen as "big mouthed shark with no teeth".
31 4 May 2005 Hualien Port, Hualien County, Taiwan Female TL: 7.09 m?; WT: 689 kg Caught by ocean sunfish driftnetter Dissected at Taipei Zoo/Academia Sinica Wang & Yang (2005c) Presumed to be pregnant based on swollen belly. Measured by Shih-Chu Yang. One ectoparasite collected from specimen.
32 5 May 2005 off Hualien County, Taiwan Female WT: 807 kg Caught by fishermen Dissected at Taipei Zoo Wang & Yang (2005d) Likely to have been pregnant. Sold directly to Kwung-Tsao Shao of the Academia Sinica.
33 5 June 2005 off Hualien County, Taiwan ? WT: 400–500 kg Caught by fishermen ? Lin (2005) Fifth megamouth shark caught in the area within two and a half months.
34 26 January 2006 4 km off Bayawan, Negros Oriental, Philippines Female TL: 5 m; WT (estimate): 1 ton/750 kg Accidentally caught in fishing net Buried [Anonymous] (2006); Sala (2006) Towed by pumpboat of the Bayawan city government to the city's boulevard, but died before it could be released. Very small shrimp found in stomach.
35 12 March 2006 Barra, Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Female TL: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m); WT: 60–80 kg Accidentally caught in gillnet ? Cabig (2006) Identified by Edward B. Yasay. Animal died before Yasay could study it.
36 23 March 2006 "China Sea" ? TL: 4.7 m; WT: 650 kg Caught by fishermen ? Lin (2006) Photograph taken.
37 2 May 2006 Sagami Bay, Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Female TL: 5.7 m Found alive in a fixed shore net Dissected and exhibited at the Aburatsubo Marine Park in Kanagawa Burgess (2006); Mollet (2012) Could not be initially landed due to adverse wind conditions. Animal was filmed on third day and died soon afterwards.
38 16 November 2006 Tortugas Bay, Baja California, Mexico Immature female TL: 2.149 m; WT: 27 kg Accidentally caught by commercial shark boat On display at the Regional Fisheries Center of Ensenada Castillo-Géniz (2006) Accidentally caught by crew of the commercial shark boat F/V Corina del Mar. Examined on November 28 by team of technicians and students led by José Leonardo Castillo-Géniz. Samples taken of stomach contents, teeth, and dermal denticles.
39 29 May 2007 Tungkop, Minglanilla, Cebu, Philippines ? TL: 8.2 ft (2.5 m); WT: ~40–50 kg Found wounded near shore ? Parco (2007a); Parco (2007b) Found alive with head wound; died after several hours.
40 7 June 2007 Sagami Bay, Japan Female TL: 5.4 m Caught in net Released alive Mollet (2012) Photographed, filmed and tagged prior to release.
41 9 July 2007 700 km east of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan Female TL: 3.6–4 m; WT: 360–450 kg Caught in purse seine Deposited at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium [Anonymous] (2007); Lin (2007); [Anonymous] (2011a, b, c) Brought to Ishinomaki port and fish market in Miyagi Prefecture. Frozen and transferred to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Dissected at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium between March 1–3, 2011, in preparation for plastination. During dissection, internal organs were removed, vertebrae sampled for age determination, and head subjected to a CT scan.
42 27 September 2007 Hinunangan, Philippines ? TL: 2.74 m Found dead on beach ? Tajonera (2009a) Weight unknown. Photographed by Marlou Pan.
43 around 30 June 2008 off Taiwan ? WT: 200+ kg "Captured" ? Mollet (2012); Burgess (N.d.) Reported by Victor Lin. No photograph and no length or sex data available.
44 10 July 2008 off eastern Taiwan Female? TL (estimate): ~5–5.5 m; WT: 870 kg "Caught" ? Mollet (2012); Burgess (N.d.) Claimed to be 9 m long in media reports.
45 5 September 2008 Hinunangan, Philippines ? TL: 2.13 m Found stranded alive Pushed back into water, presumably swam away Tajonera (2009b) No photographs taken. Identified by AT-Fisheries.
46 30 March 2009 off eastern coast of Burias Island, Philippines, at ~200 m depth Male TL: 4 m; WT: ~400–500 kg Caught in gillnet by fishermen targeting Rastrelliger kanagurta and Auxis rochei Consumed Aca (2009); Dell'Amore (2009) Died during capture. Tied up and towed to Barangay Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon. Identified by Elson Aca of WWF. Cuts found near left side of mouth. Several shrimp larvae found in stomach.
47 9 June 2009 off eastern Taiwan Female? TL: 3.90 m; WT: 350 kg Caught by fishermen from Taitung County Preserved at local shark museum Lin (2009) Bought by local shark museum to be mounted for display.
48 9 July 2009 Praia Grande, Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Male TL: 5.39 m Found dead on beach Partially consumed by locals Lima et al. (2009); Gomes & Buttigieg (2009); Mollet (2012) Appeared to have died of natural causes. Autopsy revealed empty stomach.
49 9 July 2009 700 km off Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan Female TL: 4 m; WT (estimate): 450 kg "Caught" Flesh sold at market for consumption at Ishinomaki [2]
50 6 November 2009 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Islas San Benito, Mexico ? TL: 2 m Caught in fishing net ? Camacho (2009) Caught by Ensenada fishermen on vessel Famtasma del Mar, captained by Eden Ruvicel.
51 25 April 2010 Taiwan Strait, off southeastern China Male TL (estimate): ≥4 m; WT (estimate): >1000 kg; WT(skin): 100–200 kg "Caught" Flesh cut into chunks and sold at market for consumption; skin and jaw saved; to be donated to educational facility Lin (2010a) Photographs taken of skinned specimen only.
52 19 June 2010 off eastern Taiwan ? WT (estimate): ~770 kg "Caught" Flesh sold at market for consumption; jaw saved Lin (2010b); Mollet (2012) Purchased by fish dealer in northeastern Taiwan "in poor condition, described as tattered and broken or perhaps even cut open". Photographs taken of jaw and flesh chunks only.
53 14 January 2011 500 m off Owase, Mie, Japan ? TL (estimate): 5 m "Bycaught and fled by itself" ? [3] Found being entrapped in a set net in early morning, and on 15th, an aquarium at Osaka tried to purchase the individual alive and make it the first exhibition of live animal in the world, but the shark was found missing in 6am, likely to surpass the net rather than breaking through it.
54 12 June 2011 Bahía de Vizcaíno, off western Baja California peninsula, Mexico Immature male TL: 3 m "Caught" ? Falcón (2011) Sent to Ensenada, Mexico, to be sliced into pieces, examined, and photographed. Gill and muscle structure studied by researchers from Mexico and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Captured by same vessel that caught specimen #38.
55 1 July 2011 Odawara(Sagami Bay), Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Female TL: ~3 m ? Deposited at Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History Mollet (2012); Burgess (N.d.) Information and photographs provided by Alex Buttigieg (Mollet, 2012). While some fishermen claimed that another shark shored at Ishibashi area nearby was even bigger, the others consider that this report was of the same individual.[4]
56 January 2012 "Sea of China" ? TL: 5.65–5.70 m; WT: 1,150–1,250 kg ? ? Mollet (2012) Information and photographs provided by Victor Lin (Mollet, 2012).
57 16 October 2012 off eastern Taiwan Female TL (estimate): 6 m [4.29 m without tail]; WT (estimate): 800–900 kg "Caught" Organs preserved and donated to unspecified university; meat sold Lin (2012) Tail broke off during recovery. Total intact length estimated by fish dealer who purchased specimen.
58 14 April 2014 off Shizuoka, Japan Female TL: 4.4 meters; WT (estimate): not reported "Caught" Autopsy scheduled for May 2014 NHK News Web[5] Specimen will be studied at Tokai University Marine Science Museum, Shizuoka, Japan
59 24 December 2014 off Futo, Itō, Shizuoka, Japan ? ? ("Massive") Entrapped in set nets and was released The shark was released because it was too big to bring ashore. Fujii M. 伊豆東海岸定置網へのメガマウスザメ混獲事例より. 板鰓類研究会報. No. 51.
60 28 January 2015 off Albay, Philippines Male ? Washed ashore Preserved on ice pending necropsy and display Washington Post

Inquirer Southern Luzon
Mother Nature Network

61 2 June 2015 Nghệ An Province, Vietnam ? TL (estimate): 5 m; WT (estimate): 800–900 kg Washed ashore Xác cá 'khủng' trôi dạt vào bờ biển Nghệ An
62 18 April 2016 5 km off Owase, Mie, Japan ? TL: 5 m; WT: 1,000 kg Bycatch in seine nets Purchased with a successful bid by a local fishmonger, then was delivered to a national research institute, kept in a fledge 体長５メートル、メガマウス水揚げ　尾鷲港（三重県）, Chunichi Shimbun and Chūkyō Television Broadcasting
63 12 June 2017 Pondol, Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, Philippines ? TL: 4.3 m; WT: 600 kg Washed ashore Buried along the beach Blingco, Melanie (14 June 2017). "LOOK: Megamouth shark found dead in Southern Leyte". ABS-CBN News. The shark had multiple wounds that were believed to be the cause of death
64 11 February 2018 18.5 km off Bayawan, Negros Oriental, Philippines ? TL: 4.34 m Died after accidentally getting caught in drift nets Buried along shoreline Partlow, Mary Judaline (12 February 2018). "Rare megamouth shark dies in fishnet entanglement in NegOr". Philippine News Agency. Genetic samples were taken from the specimen by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the National Museum of the Philippines
65 29 December 2021 San Roque, Tolosa, Leyte, Philippines Male TL: ~5 m Washed ashore Disposed of by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Marticio, Marie Tonette (30 December 2021). "Megamouth shark found dead in Leyte town". Manila Bulletin. Based on injuries in the dorsal and ventral parts, it is believed to have died after becoming entangled in fishing nets. Strong waves and bad weather may have also contributed.
66 11 June 2022 Bagacay, Gubat, Sorsogon, Philippines ? TL: 4.57 m Washed ashore Planned to be preserved and displayed as museum material by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Barcia, Rhaydz (11 June 2022). "Dead megamouth shark washes ashore in Sorsogon". Rappler. Presumably entangled in nets
67 11 November 2023 Silago, Southern Leyte, Philippines ? TL: 4.69 m; WT: 1,000 kg Washed ashore Dejon, Robert (21 November 2023). "Shark found on the shore of Southern Leyte town". Leyte-Samar Daily Express. Huge wound in chest area, suspected of having been bitten by a bigger shark
68 12 November 2023 Domolog, Bindoy, Philippines ? ? Washed ashore Saavedra, John Rey (20 November 2023). "Shrimp, shark washed ashore no link to Mindanao quake". Philippine News Agency.
69 16 November 2023 Ipil, Dipaculao, Aurora, Philippines 1 Pregnant female, 7 pups Washed ashore Adult female buried along the shoreline, pups were taken for preservation by the National Museum of the Philippines "Rare megamouth sharks found dead in Aurora". GMA New Online. 28 November 2023. Pregnant female about to give birth with several juveniles unborn and three birthed that also died, for a total of 7 pups. Cause of death is unknown, but not caused by human intervention.

Measurements

[edit]
  • BD – body diameter.
  • PCL – precaudal length, also known as normal length. It is the length from the tip of the snout to the precaudal pit measured in a straight line.
  • TL – total length from the tip of the snout to the tip of the longer lobe of the caudal fin, usually measured with the lobes compressed along the midline. It is a straight line measure, not measured over the curve of the body.
  • WT – total mass of specimen.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Confirmed Megamouth Shark Sightings". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "サメ希少種メガマウス水揚げ| 東北初、石巻 | 世界でも４０匹目 生態は未明". The Kahoku Shimpo. 2007-07-18. Archived from the original on 2008-03-12.
  3. ^ "希少サメ「メガマウス」逃げられた 尾鷲・九鬼町沖". The Asahi Shimbun. 2011-01-14. Archived from the original on 2011-10-10.
  4. ^ Official blog of Odawara Fish Market, 2011, メガマウスザメ Archived 2015-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ NHK News Web (15 April 2014). "Yuikou ni kyodaizame agaru [Giant shark caught in harbor]" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 April 2014.
  • [Anonymous] 1983a. New species of shark lacks sharp teeth. Syracuse Herald-Journal September 12, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1983b. Shark Seen As Evolution Clue. The New York Times September 13, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1983c. 'Lips' — new clue to evolution? The Chronicle Telegram September 13, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1983d. Wimp Kin Of 'Jaws' Discovered. The Miami Herald September 13, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1983e. Big-mouth shark an evolution key. The Daily Herald September 14, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1983f. Bizarre Sharks Come To Light. The New York Times October 25, 1983.
  • [Anonymous] 1984a. Bigmouth is vegetarian and very rare. The Chronicle Telegram November 30, 1984.
  • [Anonymous] 1984b. Rare Megamouth Shark Caught Off California. Lexington Herald-Leader December 6, 1984.
  • [Anonymous] 1988a. Shark With Luminescent Lips Washes Ashore Off Australia. St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 21, 1988.
  • [Anonymous] 1988b. International interest in megamouth. Western Australian Museum, Your Museum [September]:1–4.
  • [Anonymous] 1990a. Rare Shark Caught By California Fisherman. The Washington Post October 23, 1990.
  • [Anonymous] 1990b. Encounter With 'Alien Out Of The Depths': Scientists Set Megamouth Shark Free. San Jose Mercury News October 23, 1990.
  • [Anonymous] 1990c. Megamouth Shark Freed. The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution October 23, 1990.
  • [Anonymous] 1990d. Divers And Shark. The Miami Herald October 24, 1990.
  • [Anonymous] 1991a. Megamouth Alive! Sea Frontiers 37(1): 21.
  • [Anonymous] 1991b. Megamouth Reveals a Phantom Shark's Realm. National Geographic 179(3): 136.
  • [Anonymous] 2002. South Africa: Mega Excitement Over Rare Shark Discovery. All Africa April 23, 2002.
  • [Anonymous] 2004. Rare shark dies on shore of Iloilo town; bewilders, awes townfolk. The Manila Bulletin Online.
  • [Anonymous] 2006. Rare shark dies in Bayawan. The Visayan Daily Star January 27, 2006.
  • [Anonymous] 2007. サメ希少種メガマウス水揚げ. (in Japanese) Sanriku Kahoku, July 18, 2007.
  • [Anonymous] 2011a. メガマウスザメ. (in Japanese) Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting News Department, March 2, 2011.
  • [Anonymous] 2011b. お～きな口のサメ解剖　メガマウス、触れる標本に. (in Japanese) Ryūkyū Shimpō, March 3, 2011.
  • [Anonymous] 2011c. 世界的希少種「メガマウスザメ」の解剖を実施しました! (in Japanese) Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, March 11, 2011.
  • Aca, E.Q. 2009. Megamouth Shark # 45: Megamouth shark in Whale Shark waters. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Amorim, A.F., L. Fagundes, C.A. Arfelli & F.E.S. Costa 1995. Occurrence of megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983, in the Atlantic. VII Reunião do Grupo de Trabalho sobre pesca e pesquisa de tubarões e raias no Brasil. Rio Grande do Sul.
  • Amorim, A.F., C.A. Arfelli & J.I. Castro 2000. Description of a juvenile megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, caught off Brazil. Environmental Biology of Fishes 59(2): 117–123.
  • Bagarinao, T.U. 2004. Megamouth Shark #26 Stranded In Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Baldo, M. & E.T. Elizaga 1998. Megamouth Shark #11. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Berra, T.M. & J.B. Hutchins 1988. Third Megamouth Shark, caught off Mandurah, Australia, August 18, 1988. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Berra, T.M. & J.B. Hutchins 1990. A specimen of megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios (Megachasmidae) from Western Australia. Rec. West. Aust. Mus. 14(4): 651–656.
  • Berra, T.M. & J.B. Hutchins 1991. Natural history notes on the megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Western Australia. West. Aust. Nat. 18(8): 224–233.
  • Boonyapiwat, S. & C. Vidthayanon 2002. Megamouth Shark #16 Caught in East Indian Ocean. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Burgess, G. 2006. Megamouth Shark #37. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Burgess, G. N.d. Distribution Table of Confirmed Megamouth Shark Sightings. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Cabig, A. 2006. Megamouth Shark #35 Caught Off Of Barra, Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Camacho, E.F. 2009. Megamouth Shark # 48: Rare Shark Specimen Captured, Only 47 Have Been Found Worldwide. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Castillo-Géniz, J.L. 2006. Megamouth Shark # 38: The First Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios, Found in Mexican Waters. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Castro, J.I. 1994. Megamouth Shark #7 Caught in Fukuoka, Japan. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Castro, J.I. & O.B.F. Gadig 1995. Megamouth Shark #9 Caught off Brazil and now displayed in the Instituto de Pesca, São Paulo, Brazil. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Castro, J.I., E. Clark, K. Yano K. Nakaya 1997. The gross anatomy of the female reproductive tract and associated organs of the Fukuoka megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios). In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 115–119.
  • Clark, E. & J.I. Castro 1995. "Megamamma" is a virgin: dissection of the first female specimen of Megachasma pelagios. Environmental Biology of Fishes 43: 329–332.
  • Cressey, R. & H. Boyle 1978. A New Genus and Species of Parasitic Copepod (Pandaridae) from a Unique New Shark. Pacific Science 32(1): 25–30.
  • Dell'Amore, C. 2009. MEGAMOUTH SHARK PICTURE: Ultra-Rare Shark Found, Eaten. National Geographic News April 7, 2009.
  • Diamond, J.M. 1985. Filter-feeding on a grand scale. Nature 316: 679–680.
  • Dunford, B. 1976. Associated Press November 16, 1976.
    • Huge shark hauled from depths. Stevens Point Daily Journal November 17, 1976.
    • 'Megamouth' is caught. Neenah-Menasha Northwestern November 17, 1976.
    • 'Megamouth' Shark no Maneater. The Daily Times-News November 17, 1976.
    • Navy captures 'Megamouth'. The Advocate November 17, 1976.
    • New Species Of Shark. The Gettysburg Times November 17, 1976.
    • New Species Of Shark Caught Near Honolulu. The Daily Times November 17, 1976.
    • New Species Of Shark Under Study. Indiana County Gazette November 17, 1976.
    • New Type Of Shark Reported. Herald Times Reporter November 17, 1976.
    • Scientists say shark with a movie star mouth new species. The Chillicothe Constitution Tribune November 17, 1976.
    • Scientists snag new shark species. Walla Walla Union-Bulletin November 17, 1976.
    • A new species of shark is caught deep off Hawaii. The Modesto Bee November 18, 1976.
    • Big-mouthed shark caught, may be of unknown species. Winnipeg Free Press November 18, 1976.
    • Big-Mouth Shark May Be New Type. San Mateo Times November 18, 1976.
    • Unusual Shark Found Off Hawaii. The Washington Post November 18, 1976.
    • Huge new shark named 'Megamouth'. The Post Crescent November 20, 1976.
    • Experts believe shark is a new species. Great Bend Tribune November 28, 1976.
  • Elizaga, E.T. 1998a. Megamouth Shark in Cagayan de Oro. EcoNews March 18, 1998.
  • Elizaga, E.T. 1998b. The Capture of Megamouth 11. EcoNews May 29, 1998.
  • Elizaga, E.T. 2005a. Megamouth Shark 28. Elizaga.net.
  • Elizaga, E.T. 2005b. Megamouth Shark #28. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Ellorin, B.G. 2005. Megamouth shark found dead in Oro. Sun Star Cagayan de Oro January 31, 2005.
  • Falcón, E. 2011. Elusive megamouth shark snared in Mexico. Cosmos Online August 11, 2011.
  • Furuta, M. 2003. Personal communication. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Furuta, M. 2004. Megamouth Shark #25 Caught Off Ajiro, Shizuoka Japan. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. [Ajiro Newspaper article]
  • Furuta, M. 2005. Megamouth Shark #27 Captured In Purse Seine off Japan. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Gallagher, H. N.d. Megamouth Shark #1. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Gomes, U.L. & A. Buttigieg 2009. Megamouth Shark # 47: Megamouth . Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Goto, M. 1999. Histological structure of the teeth, dermal and mucous denticles and gill rakers of a female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagious, from Hakata Bay, Japan. Archives of Comparative Biology of Tooth Enamel 6: 9–18.
  • Haight, T. 1990a. Megamouth Shark #6 Caught in Dana Point, California. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Haight, T. 1990b. Male Megamouth Shark caught in Dana Point, California. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Ito, H., M. Yoshimoto & H. Somiya 1999. External Brain Form and Cranial Nerves of the Megamouth Shark, Megachasma pelagios. Copeia 1999(1): 210–213.
  • Johnson, C.S. 1978. Sea creatures and the problem of equipment damage. U.S. Naval Inst. Proc. [August]: 106–107.
  • Lavenberg, R.J. 1991. Megamania — the continuing saga of megamouth sharks. Terra 30: 30–39.
  • Lavenberg, R.J. & J.A. Seigel 1985. The Pacific's megamystery — Megamouth. Terra 23: 30–31.
  • Lima, L.M., B. Rennó & S. Siciliano 2009. Gigante dos mares em areias fluminenses. Diário do Grande ABC October 5, 2009.
  • Lin, V. 2005. Megamouth Shark #33. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2006. Megamouth Shark #36 Caught in China Sea. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2007. Megamouth Shark # 40: Megamouth Caught Off The Coast Of Japan . Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2009. Megamouth Shark # 46: Megamouth. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2010a. Megamouth Shark # 49 Caught Off Of Southeastern China (Taiwan Straits). Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2010b. Megamouth Shark # 50 Caught Off Eastern Taiwan. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lin, V. 2012. Megamouth Shark #54: Caught off eastern Taiwan. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lumba Lumba Dive Centre 2004. Megamouth Shark #23 Washes Up in Sumatra, Indonesia. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Lumingkit, E., N. Gallentes & E.M. Largo 2005. Megamouth Shark #28. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Maisey, J.G. 1985. Relationships of the megamouth shark, Megachasma. Copeia 1985(1): 228–231.
  • Miya, M., M. Hirosawa & K. Mochizuki 1992. Occurrence of a megachasmid shark in Suruga Bay: photographic evidence. J. Nat. Hist. Must. Inst., Chiba 2: 41–44.
  • Mollet, H.F. 2004. Megamouth Shark #20. [translation of Japanese article by Victor Lin; reproduced by the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department]
  • Mollet, H.F. 2012. Summary of Megamouth Sharks, Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983. Home Page of Henry F. Mollet, Research Affiliate, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. [archived copy from April 16, 2009]
  • Morrissey, J.F. & E.T. Elizaga 1999. Capture of megamouth #11 in the Philippines. The Philippine Scientist 36: 143–147.
  • Nakaya, K. 1989a. Discovery of a megamouth shark from Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 36(1): 144–146.
  • Nakaya, K. 1989. Discovery of a megamouth shark from Japan. Rep. Japan. Soc. Elasmobranch Stud. 26: 36–39.
  • Nakaya, K., K. Yano, K. Takada & H. Hiruda 1997. Morphology of the first female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios (Elasmobranchii: Megachasmidae), landed at Fukuoka, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 51–62.
  • Nelson, D.R., J.N. McKibben, W.R. Strong Jr., C.G. Lowe, J.A. Sisneros, D.M. Schroeder & R.J. Lavenberg 1997. An acoustic tracking of a megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios: a crepuscular vertical migrator. Environmental Biology of Fishes 49(4): 389–399.
  • Nielsen, J. 1988. A Mega Mystery: Reclusive giant shark has scientists guessing about the wonders of the deep. The Orange County Register October 12, 1988.
  • Osedo, H. 2004. Megamouth Is Bigger Than Jaws. The Courier-Mail April 23, 2004. [reproduced by the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department]
  • Parco, B.A. 2007a. Hurt Megamouth Shark found near Cebu shore. Cebu Daily News May 30, 2007.
  • Parco, B.A. 2007b. Megamouth Shark # 39: Hurt Megamouth Shark found near Cebu shore. Cebu Daily News May 30, 2007. [reproduced by the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department]
  • Pecchioni, P. & C. Benoldi 1999. Sperm Whales Spotted Attacking Megamouth Shark. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Petersen, D. 1999. Megamouth Shark #14 Caught off California. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Petersen, D. 2001. Megamouth Shark #15 Caught off California. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Reyes, L.S. 1998. Rare megamouth shark found. The Philippine Daily Inquirer 30 March 1998.
  • Robbins, G. 2003. Rare Shark Sighted Off Orange County, California. The Orange County Register May 27, 2003. [reproduced by the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department]
  • Romero, M. & J.L.S. Cruz 2004. Megamouth Shark #22: Megamouth Caught for First Time in the Pacific Ocean off the Coast of South America. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Sala, I. 2006. Megamouth Shark #34. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Sanchez, C. 2002. Extremely rare Megamouth shark washes ashore in South Africa. Cyber Diver News Network April 21, 2002.
  • Séret, B. 1995. Première capture d'un requin grande gueule (Chondrichthyes, Megachasmidae) dans l'Atlantique, au large d'un Sénégal. [First record of a megamouth shark (Chondrichthyes, Megachasmidae) in the Atlantic Ocean, off Senegal.] Cybium 19(4): 425–427.
  • Smale, M. 2002. Megamouth Shark #17 Washed onto South African Beach. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Smale, M.J., L.J.V. Compagno & B.A Human 2002. First megamouth shark from the western Indian Ocean and South Africa. South African Journal of Science 98(7-8): 349–350.
  • Tajonera, I.J. 2009a. Megamouth Shark # 41: Megamouth Found Dead, Stranded On Beach In Hinunangan, Philippines. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Tajonera, I.J. 2009b. Megamouth Shark # 44: Megamouth Found Stranded Along The Hinunangan Shore In The Philippines. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Takada, K. 1994. Stranding of a megamouth shark in Hakata-Bay. Rep. Japan. Soc. Elasmobranch Stud. 31: 13–16.
  • Takada, K. 1995. Stranding of a megamouth shark (#7) in Hakata-Bay. Rep. Japan. Soc. Elasmobranch Stud. 32: 25.
  • Takada, K., H. Hiruda, S. Wakisaka, T. Mori & K. Nakaya 1997. Capture of the first female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Hakata Bay, Fukuoka, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 3–9.
  • Tanaka, S. & K. Yano 1997. Histological observations on the reproductive organs of a female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Hakata Bay, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 121–129.
  • Taylor, L. 1977. Megamouth. Oceans 10: 46–47.
  • Taylor, L.R., L.J.V. Compagno & P.J. Struhsaker 1983. Megamouth — a new species, genus, and family of lamnoid shark (Megachasma pelagios, family Megachasmidae) from the Hawaiian Islands. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 43(8): 87–110.
  • Wang, J.Y. & S.-C. Yang 2005a. Megamouth Shark #29. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Wang, J.Y. & S.-C. Yang 2005b. Megamouth Shark #30. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Wang, J.Y. & S.-C. Yang 2005c. Megamouth Shark #31. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • Wang, J.Y. & S.-C. Yang 2005d. Megamouth Shark #32. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
  • White, W.T., M.A. Fahmi & K. Sumadhiharga 2004. "A juvenile megamouth shark Megachasma pelagios (Lamniformes: Megachasmidae) from Northern Sumatra, Indonesia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-18. (4.97 MiB) The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 52(2): 603–607.
  • Wood, L. 1986. Megamouth: new species of shark. Sea Frontiers 32(3): 192–198.
  • Yabumoto, Y., M. Goto, K. Yano & T. Uyeno 1997. Dentition of a female megamouth, Megachasma pelagios, collected from Hakata Bay, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 63–75.
  • Yamaguchi, R. & K. Nakaya 1997. Fukuoka megamouth, a probable victim of the cookie-cutter shark. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 171–175.
  • Yano, K., M. Goto & Y. Yabumoto 1997a. Dermal and mucous denticles of a female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Hakata Bay, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 77–91.
  • Yano, K., M. Toda, S. Uchida & F. Yasuzumi 1997b. Gross anatomy of the viscera and stomach contents of a megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Hakata Bay, Japan, with a comparison of the intestinal structure of other planktivorous elasmobranchs. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 105–113.
  • Yano, K., Y. Yabumoto, H. Ogawa, T. Hasegawa, K. Naganobu, S. Matumura, Y. Misuna & K. Matumura 1997c. X-ray observations on vertebrae and dentition of a megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Hakata Bay, Japan. In: Yano, K., J.F. Morrissey, Y. Yabumoto & K. Nakaya (eds.) Biology of the Megamouth Shark. Tokai University Press, Japan, pp. 21–29.
  • Yano, K., Y. Yabumoto, S. Tanaka, O. Tsukada & M. Furuta 1997d. Capture of a mature female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, from Mie, Japan, pp. 335–349. In: Séret, B. & J.-Y. Sire (eds.) Proceedings of the 5th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Nouméa 1999. Soc. Fr. Ictyol., Paris.
  • Yano, K., O. Tsukada & M. Furuta 1998. Capture of megamouth shark number 12 from Atawa, Mie, Japan. Ichthyological Research 45(4): 424–426.
  • Yasay, E.B. 2003. Megamouth Shark #18 Caught for Second Time in Philippine Waters. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.
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