RARE MEGAMOUTH SHARK DISCOVERED IN PHILIPPINES
A rare megamouth
shark washed ashore dead in the Philippines this week, wildlife officials said.
The 15-foot shark, a Megachasma pelagios (or "giant mouth of the
deep"), was discovered on the beach in Marigondon, Pio Duran, in Albay
province.
The totally terrifying-looking specimen is one of less than 70 ever
seen in the world, according to Marine Wildlife Watch of
the Philippines.
The shark, nicknamed
"Toothless," was preserved in ice by local villagers.
It's the first
megamouth shark to be documented since July, when an 18-foot Megachasma pelagios was
caught by Filipino fishermen. The first confirmed megamouth shark
sighting was in 1976, when a deep-sea anchor accidentally caught one near
Hawaii. Most have been found in Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.
Despite the recent
sightings, the megamouth shark remains "one of the most rarely seen
species of sharks," David Shiffman, a marine biologist, told Business Insider.
Comments
Post a Comment