An incredible megamouth shark has been recently washed ashore in the Philippines that gives scientists a rare up-close glimpse of the weird sea creature, CBS News reported.
The lifeless body of the 15-foot male megamouth shark was discovered by fishermen on a beach between the Albay and Masbate provinces on Jan. 28. It's not yet been determined the shark's cause of death but the specimen may shed a new light on the species scientists know as Megachasma pelagios.
"We know so little about it," Christopher Bird, a Ph.D. student who studies deep-sea sharks at the University of Southampton in England, told The Washington Post. "It wasn't discovered really until 1976. It's only really seen when it's accidentally caught in fishermen's nets or when it is stranded on beaches."
Having a life span of around 100 years, megamouth sharks can reach up to 17 feet in length. Most of the shark's lifetime is spent in the deep sea feeding on small shrimp, plankton, and krill. Why did scientists call them megamouth? Well, simply because they have gigantic jaws that grows 50 rows of teeth which act as a filter to keep food in and push water out.
Just last year, a megamouth shark was caught from a fishing trap off the coast of Japan. Since this weird shark specie was discovered, only about 66 have been spotted and fewer have been caught.
0 facebook-blogger:
Post a Comment