From Wikipedia: The long delay between initial discovery (1976) [of the megamouth shark] and the scientific description (1983) became the focus of an elaborate practical joke by two friends of Leighton Taylor, Richard Ellis of the American Museum of Natural History and John McCosker, director of San Francisco's Steinhart Aquarium. Ellis and McCosker photocopied random articles from Japanese scientific journals and inserted photographs of the megamouth shark and a map of the type location and an English abstract, making it appear as if a Japanese team under guidance of John E. Randall of the Bishop Museum was to snatch the scientific merits of the description right from under Taylor's nose. An accomplice in Japan then mailed the "preprints" to Taylor, who was naturally dumbstruck. He then had his Japanese-American secretary translate the "paper", only to be told that it contained things like musings about the cat in Japanese art, and rhinoceroses in Ueno Zoo, but nothing about the megamouth shark. Hidden on the last page were the names of Ellis and McCosker, put there deliberately for Taylor to find them. Realizing he had been had, Taylor finally wrote up the description. The remark on its last page, "Particular thanks go to Richard Ellis and John McCosker for preparation of a preliminary manuscript which was of great help in the production of this final paper," is in reference to this incident.

thats true, it was based on the ferocity of the infamous Bull shark, but made into a Great White shark to inspire more fear due to their large size.

@Oddey:
yes, but sharks actually only have 4 human senses; (supreme) smell, hearing, touch, and sight. the other two which humans do not have are; Lateral line (which detects motion and vibrations, as a Hz frequency, in the water, therfore knowing where an organism is if it is moving, without seeing it), and Electroreception (which senses the elctromagnetic field, around all living things, which helps it hunt prey, again without actually seeing it. Hammerheads have an even more improved version of this, thus the broad heads).
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the shark i least like is the Goblin shark, because its just bloody ugly!

Disgruntled Intern, I am aware that it was a joke, or at least I hoped so at the time...

I am aware of that, it's just that there's nothing larger than the Great White currently alive that is carnivorous, or something you can catch with a rod. So that's why I said Great White.
Great White isn't as small in comparison to Megaladon as one would think...

Uhh... I think you mean 5 because shark's can taste can't they? And hammer heads actually also have a better sense of smell due to the broad heads. And it sways it's head back nd forth to smell even better.

It sways it's head back and forth because It's hammer time!

WTF, Oddey, how would swaying the head help it smell better? Where'd you get that demented idea from?

The head is swayed back and forth as they scan the sea bed using the electroreceptors that cover the underside of their broad head, like a metal detector. This is primarily used to detect their favorite prey, rays, that hide under the sand, as well as any other small fish that hide in the sand.

+ What Disgruntled Intern said :P

http://www.usera.imagecave.com/A1B2C...4730713877.jpg

Oh, how I have been waiting for an excuse to post this stupid image.

I've seen that before but oh my god did that make me laugh the first time

im not sure, i dont think they can taste like we do, because it would be pointless.
:confused:
BM, could you please solve this conundrum?

Sorry if I sound stupid here, but why would taste be pointless?

I mean (If i'm right) taste can help an organism tell whether something is good for you or bad (Most of the time >_>) along with what might be best for your body.

Just my thought on why a shark might need taste.

Observed senses of the environment and the organism's relationship to it in sharks:

Vision: the detection of light and distinguishing a specific range of wavelengths.

Audition: the detection of high-frequency vibrations in the medium in which the organism lives (sound).

Gustation (possibly several senses): detection of specific compounds and types of chemicals on contact (taste).

Olfaction: detection of many different chemicals dispersed in the medium in which the organism lives (smell).

Tactition/mechanoreception: detection of pressure from contact (touch).

Thermoception: detection of external heat and its absence (temperature).

Nociception: perception of physiological and/or tissue damage (pain). Intertwines with all senses.

Equilibrioception: perception of balance and orientation.

Proprioception: the perception of the position of the organism's body.

Electroreception: detection of electric fields.

The lateral line: detects movement and vibration in the surrounding water (possibly magnetic fields?)