MonsterQuest

MonsterQuest: Mega Jaws

Mega Jaws "The Black Demon"

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BEHAVIOR

Recent findings have reported an ominous trend: Seal and sea lion carcasses have been found with large bite marks in the Sea of Cortez- evidence that a massive beast may be on the prowl. Mega Jaws are said to dismember their prey by shaking them violently.

WHEREABOUTS

Reported sightings suggest a monster shark, or Mega Jaws, may be stalking the Sea of Cortez, which runs between the Baja Peninsula and the Mexican mainland just south of the California border. The sea, also called the Gulf of California, is home to some of the most feared aquatic creatures in the world, including the giant squid and the great white shark. The gulf boasts a plentiful food supply, making it an ideal hiding place for a Mega Jaws predator. The sea's considerable depth may explain how a new species could be found here; the deepest portion drops down to roughly 12,000 feet.

VITAL STATS

Eyewitnesses describe a massive shark that is two to three times the size of a great white shark. Mega Jaws is estimated to weigh between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds, and it is said to be anywhere from 20 to 60 feet long. The mammoth beast's teeth are estimated to be about six inches in length.

RELATIVES

The largest known fish species in existence is the whale shark, which the Black Demon most resembles. The whale shark can grow to be 40 feet long and weigh up to 15 tons, but it is not a predator like the Black Demon, instead feeding largely on plankton.

HISTORY

The Carcharadon megaloadon, or "Meg" for short, was the largest pre-historic carnivorous shark known to have ever inhabited the earth's ocean. It was a 70-foot, 70,000-pound great white shark, approximately the size of an 18-wheeler. The Megalodon's teeth, three to four times the size of a great white's teeth, were the only remains of this massive shark to have been found. Although most experts agree that the Megalodon became extinct 1.5 million years ago, some have contested that fact. In 1959, Dr. W. Tschernezky of London's Queen Mary College examined a Megalodon tooth discovered in 1872 by British explorers aboard the HMS Challenger and estimated that the tooth was only 10,000 years old.

MOST RECENT SIGHTING

A recent rash of sightings of a shark of staggering size prowling the waters of the Sea of Cortez has alarmed local fisherman. The large beast has been spotted rapidly rising to the surface, before diving back down just as quickly, its giant tail whipping wildly as it disappears to the depths of the sea. Locals have dubbed the massive shark, "The Black Demon."