Megachasma
| Megachasma Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Megachasma pelagios | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Megachasmidae Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983 |
| Genus: | Megachasma Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983 |
| Species | |
Megachasma is a genus of mackerel sharks. It is usually considered to be the sole genus in the family Megachasmidae, though suggestion has been made that it may belong in the family Cetorhinidae, of which the basking shark is the sole extant member.[1] Megachasma is known from a single living species, Megachasma pelagios.[2][3]
In addition to the living M. pelagios, two extinct megamouth species – the Priabonian Megachasma alisonae and the Oligocene–Miocene Megachasma applegatei – have been discovered from fossilized tooth remains.[4][5][6] An early ancestor of M. pelagios was reported from the Burdigalian of Belgium.[7] However, the Cretaceous-aged M. comanchensis was reclassified as an odontaspid shark in the genus Pseudomegachasma, and is unrelated to the megamouth shark despite similar teeth morphology.[8]
Megachasma is primarily found in temperate and tropical waters among the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The top sighting spots are Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines.[9]
References
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- ^ Shimada, K. 2007. Mesozoic origin for megamouth shark (Lamniformes: Megachasmidae). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27:512–516. (Link at BioOne)
- ^ Shimada, Kenshu, and David J. Ward. "The oldest fossil record of the megamouth shark from the late Eocene of Denmark, and comments on the enigmatic megachasmid origin." [1]
- ^ Shimada, K., Welton, B.J., and Long, D.J. 2014. A new fossil megamouth shark (Lamniformes, Megachasmidae) from the Oligocene-Miocene of the western United States. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34:281-290.
- ^ De Schutter, P., Everaert, S. 2020. A megamouth shark (Lamniformes: Megachasmidae) in the Burdigalian of Belgium.Geologica Belgica Volume 23 number 3-4 - The Neogene stratigraphy of northern Belgium.[2]
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Watanabe, YY, Papastamatiou, YP. Distribution, body size and biology of the megamouth shark Megachasma pelagios. J Fish Biol. 2019; 95: 992– 998. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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