Scientists at the University of California San Diego analyzed videos of a pair of pelagic megamouth sharks.Megachasma pelagios). They believe the images are the first evidence of mating behavior in these animals. It has been reported live science.
The elusive megamouth shark can grow up to 5.5 meters and weigh more than a ton. These creatures are feeders that filter nutrients from the water they suck into their mouths. In the 50 years since this species was discovered, only 273 shark sightings have been recorded, most of them involving individuals caught with fishing gear. Only five bigmouth sharks have been seen swimming freely in the wild. Never before have two people been seen swimming together.
The 10-minute video was captured by fishermen off the coast of San Diego in September 2022. Analyzing the images, the researchers suggest that the sharks exhibit mating behavior. One of the sharks was male. The sex of the second individual could not be determined, but given the series of scars on its back that may have remained during mating, it can be assumed that it was a female.
The male followed the suspicious female closely, and none of the sharks tried to find food. This focus on social interaction may mean sharks are trying to mate.
“We still know relatively little about the biology and ecology of sea bream sharks, so this observation is an interesting addition to our understanding of this species,” the scientists said.