The discovery of a pregnant megamouth shark and her unborn pups deepens scientific understanding of the elusive creature’s life cycle
A pregnant megamouth shark has been found washed ashore with her seven pups – six unborn – in the Philippines’ Aurora province. The tragic discovery, however, has given scientists the first opportunity to learn how one of the world’s most elusive shark species reproduces.
Megamouth sharks (Megachasma pelagios) are one of the most rarely seen large species of shark, with less than 300 sightings recorded worldwide since the shark was first described, in 1976. They are deep-water fish and, together with whale sharks and basking sharks, one of only three known species of filter-feeding shark.
The 5.6m (18.4ft) -long shark was found washed ashore on a beach in the Municipality of Dipaculao on 14 November. One of the pups was beside her on the beach, thought to have been birthed after the mother washed ashore, with the other 6 pups still inside her.
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According to a post by the National Museum of the Philippines, a necropsy of the shark and one of her pups was performed under the supervision of the Philippines Marine Wildlife Watch (MWWP), leading to the discovery that megamouths are ovoviviparous – the female produces eggs which are hatched inside her body, after which the fetuses complete their gestation while being sustained by the remains of the egg’s yolk, before being born as an independent animal.
The majority of megamouth sightings are the result of bycatch and entanglement with abandoned, lost or discarded ‘ghost’ fishing gear, however, representatives of the MWWP said that there were no signs of injury on the female’s body, and that sea conditions on the day had been unfavourable for the small fishing boats used by the local fishers.
The remains of the shark and its pups have been transported to the National Museum of the Philippines, where they will be studied in more detail before being preserved for public display.
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