Wide-mouthed shark (Megachasma pelagios) is such a difficult species for humans that it has only been seen on the entire planet 273 times since 1976.. In fact, the two specimens had never been seen together until a few months ago, when some amateur fishermen managed to record them with their cell phones. Now, the scientific study containing all the details about it has been published.
Despite being one of the largest fish in the ocean, this species is notorious for being elusive and little is known about its biology and life history.
However, for the first time on September 11, 2022, off San Diego, California, USA, Two sharks of this species were photographed together from a small fishing boat.. Previously, only five bigmouth sharks have been documented swimming in the wild in their natural habitat (ie they are not part of a hunting event or are not stranded).
The authors of the recording posted the footage via social networks and reached out to scientists who analyzed the videos and interviewed the boat’s occupants to get more details.
When observed, The two sharks were about 45-60 meters from the fishing boat, and the larger one, which was about 4.6 meters, seemed to circle around the smaller one.It was 3.7 meters long. The smaller shark, identified as a male, continued to circle deeper underwater as the boat approached, but then followed the larger shark (sex unknown) in the direction of the boat and at a different depth.
The largest specimen made several passes near the boat the smaller one almost always remained deeper, except for a brief appearance on the surface near the side of the boat.
Two possible explanations
the team recommends Two leading theories as to why two big-mouthed sharks were together at that time. the first is that sharks swam together for food. Although little is known about the diet of sea bream sharks, they are thought to be filtered feeders and consume mainly krill, but also squid and other gelatinous organisms.
The people who recorded them did not observe any behavior to indicate that either shark was feeding, but the appearance of the boat could have disturbed them and deterred them from doing so. It turned out that there were abundant gelatinous organisms in the area at that time.
The second theory is that two specimens attend a wedding procession event. The researchers believe that the male shark’s tracking behavior towards the larger shark is similar to the mating behavior seen in other shark species.
They also remember that in other shark species, mating may be more frequent when there is a food source. The researcher noted that although no mating attempts were observed during the encounter with the boat, mating observations of sharks, especially filter-feeding species, were extremely rare.
Based on video evidence and preliminary information, the researchers two sharks likely had premating behavior. They also suggest that with the rise of social media, increased awareness and maritime traffic, testimonies like this may become more frequent, shedding more light on the lives of these elusive wide-mouthed sharks.
Reference work: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-023-01406-0
…….
Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]