New research suggests that the prehistoric megalodon, the biggest shark known to have existed, was even larger than we thought.

The basking shark’s scientific name, Cetorhinus maximus, roughly translates to “great-nosed sea monster” in Greek. In reality, these placid sharks, found the world over, are totally harmless.

The basking shark, for instance ... Instead of bones, sharks have thick cartilage that acts as a skeleton. The cartilage is lighter than bone — which is good for underwater living — and ...