Macros@altger.UUCP (Macros) (07/26/88)
Interesting what became of my request on Information of the Loch Ness Monster :-) Now I have to give information, oh well... Scientific name: Megachasma pelagios Common name: Megamouth Shark Distribution: Pacific (as far as known) deep, oceanic waters Size (cm): 446 Colour: Dusky brown to black "Known only from two specimens. Finding a new giant species that was also a new genus and a new family was the most exciting shark discovery this century (Hawaii, 1976). It has an enormous luminous mouth with 100+ rows of teeth. Lives midwater." "Only two specimens of the large, filter-feeding megamouth shark Megachasma Pelagios have so far been caught. The first was discovered in strange circum- stances when an oceanographic research vessel hauled in two parachutes sea- anchors from a depth of about 165m (541ft) in waters off Hawaii, to find a megamouth entangled in one of them. It was suggested that the shark had been swimming along with its mouth open to catch small crustaceans when it en- countered the parachute, which became entangled in its tiny teeth." "... the other [was caught] off the coast of California. Megamouth like the whale and basking sharks, is a filter feeder, and yet anatomically it is related more closely to the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias." "Megamouth sharks have luminous organs inside their mouths which may be used to attract the small fish and squid they filter from the water." Reference: SHARKS Silent Hunters of the deep (c) 1986 Reader's Digest Services Pty Ltd National Library of Australia cataloguing-in-publication data ISBN 0 86438 014 3 I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about sharks It's excellently illustrated. With distributions of the "who's who" of shark research. A must for any Scuba Diver interested in Marine Biology. Mike -- ! Mike Hoffmann ! It's difficult to soar with Eagles ! ! Fasangartenstr. 102 ! when you have to work with Turkeys ! ! D-8000 Munich !----------------------------------------------! ! West Germany ! ...!altger!chiron!krondor!mike !
jwm@stdc.jhuapl.edu (Jim Meritt) (07/30/88)
In article <871@altger.UUCP> Macros@altger.UUCP (Macros) writes: }Interesting what became of my request on Information of the Loch Ness }Monster :-) }A must for any Scuba Diver interested in Marine Biology. A "must" for any marine biology interested in Scuba divers! Disclaimer: Individuals have opinions, organizations have policy. Therefore, these opinions are mine and not any organizations! Q.E.D. jwm@aplvax.jhuapl.edu 128.244.65.5 (James W. Meritt)