Ancient Megalodon shark as long as two buses, scientists say

An artist's impression of what a megalodon might have looked like

You might have to forget what you think you know about the Megalodon.

Megalodon are ancient fish, thought to be the largest to ever exist.

According to a new study, the ancient predator which became extinct nearly four million years ago, could be even larger than previously thought.

Scientists now think they could grow to nearly 25 metres (around 80 feet) in length - that's more than twice as long as a double decker bus!

What did scientists discover?

Can you imagine a shark as long as two double decker buses?

The megalodon was a type of ancient giant shark which lived a long time ago.

The ocean predator roamed the world's seas between four million and 20 million years ago.

An international team of scientists, led Professor Kenshu Shimada of DePaul University in US city of Chicago, decided to take a closer look at the fearsome creature.

They studied the teeth and vertebrae of previously found megalodon fossils and came to some interesting conclusions.

They discovered that they could reached 24.3 metres (80ft) in length - ten metres longer than previously thought.

Scientists had also thought the creature was barrel-chested like the great white shark.

This new research, published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, argues its body was more slender and elongated - closer to that of a lemon shark.

Researchers think that meant that the megalodon was more efficient at moving through water.