Megamouth Shark Caught By Fisherman Off The Coast Of Japan: The Rare Creature Known To Be Eaten In The Philippines

By Jobs & Hire Staff Reporter | May 08, 2014 05:36 PM EDT

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Megamouth sharks are considered one of the rarest sea creatures in the world was caught by a fisherman just off the coast of Japan. News providers in Japan reported that the recent catch marked the 58th time in history that the rare creature was sighted or has been hauled out of the ocean. A megamouth shark that was accidentally caught by a fisherman in the Philippines in 2009 was butchered and eaten by the locals.

After reports were made that the megamouth shark was caught by a fisherman in Japan, scientist immediately responded to take a look at the rare creature. They were also reported by the Japan Daily Press performing an autopsy on the megamouth shark, which led to the discovery that it was a female shark weighing at 1,5000 pounds. The examination procedure was executed by scientists in front of viewers at the Marine Science Museum in Shizuoka City.

The megamouth shark was known to have been at a depth of 2,600 feet below sea level at the time it was caught. Although the time it was hauled by the fisherman was not precisely recorded, according to reports.

The first recorded discovery of the rare megamouth shark happened in 1976 in Hawaii, which urged scientists to study and create a new family and variety of shark species. Based on studies conducted on the megamouth sharks, they were known to be docile filter-feeders that has a wide, round, and chubby mouths.

Other sightings and encounters of the megamouths were recorded in California, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Brazil, Ecuador,South Africa,Meicon, Senegal, and Australia. According to studies from the Florida Museum of Natural History, the shark are known to dwell around the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.

The only known predator for the megamouth shark is the sperm whale, and they are considered to consume huge quantities of krill as their main diet, while they can grow up to 17 feet long as its maximum size.

The megamouth shark was also recently spotted in the Philippines in 2009, which was accidentally caught by a fisherman off the Burias Island. The rare creature was reported to have been butchered and eaten by the locals nearby Donsol in Sorsogon province.

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