The first record of a juvenile Mega- mouth Shark

Region Update: Asia Written by Dr. Jie Zhang IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group | Asia Regional Group | Regional Vice-Chair Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

A female juvenile Megamouth Shark from Lianjiang, China. Found on March 3, 2021 Lower jaw and tongue of the Megamouth Shark

The Megamouth Shark is a rare and pelagic filter-feeding shark. It is distributed globally with a hotspot known from the Kuroshio region, including the waters around Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. An individual of a juvenile Megamouth Shark was accidentally caught by a commercial fishing boat on the 13th of March 2021 in Lianjiang (119.80ºE, 26.20ºN), Fuzhou Province, China. This juvenile female measured 1.99 m in total length and weighed 33.15 kg. According to historical reports, it was the second and 126th record in China and the world, respectively. Among all individuals, only six juveniles have been recorded to this day: three males (1.80 m TL, 04 May 1995, 15°08’ N, 18°22’ W Dakar, Senegal; 1.90 m TL, 18 September 1995, 27°08’ S,43°55’ W Southern Brazil; 1.77 m TL, 13 March 2004, 05° 51’ N, 95° 16’ E Sumatra, Indonesia), two females (2.26 m TL, 16 November 2006, 27° 37’ N, 114° 55’ W Tortugas Bay, Baja California, Mexico; 1.99 m TL, 13 March 2021, 26.20º N, 119.80º E, Lianjiang, China), and one unsexed individual in Salaverry port, Peru (2.15 m TL, 24 June 2019, 08°22.5’ S, 79°18.0’ W). Thus, the individual found in China was the smallest female that has ever been recorded at the global level.

This specimen was found by a taxidermy artist, Heming Zhang, and was transported back to his workshop in Beijing. Unlike most Megamouth Sharks found until now, which present a dark grey body coloration, this juvenile shark had pink skin except for the dorsal surface of the head. This difference may be caused by the immaturity of its chromatophores and the many blood capillaries underneath its skin. The fish has jelly-like muscles that were extremely soft and flaccid.

This individual was so precious that scientists are making the best use of everything: more than 100 morphological measurements were taken from the shark based on ‘Sharks of the World, Vol. 2’ while tissue from various organs were collected and preserved. These will be used for biological and genetic studies by Dr Jie Zhang, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science; the shark’s skull was CT scanned in the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Science; and the specimen is also being used for popularization of science. The whole process, as mentioned above, as well as the introduction on shark biology and ecology, have been recorded by the Chinese National Geographic and uploaded to its official channel in Bilibili, which is one of the most influential video sites in China. The video has so far received over one million views and, consequently, positively affects shark awareness and conservation. The shark will be preserved as a specimen type in a museum with taxidermy, skeleton, and 3D scan models of its body and skeleton.

3D model of the Megamouth Shark skull

3D printed model of the Megamouth Shark

Photo by Kuang Wang

Measurement of the Megamouth Shark

Dermal denticles of the Megamouth Shark

Tiny teeth of the Megamouth Shark

Photos by Heming Zhang