This Monday, a Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) was caught by a Taitung fisherman off the coast of Taiwan.

According to National Taiwan Ocean University’s Department of Environmental Biology and
Fisheries Science, the shark, which was netted off the county’s Chenggong coast, is only the 42nd that has been caught or sighted worldwide and the ninth in Taiwan since the species was discovered in 1976.

Mega mouth shark exhibited at the Aburatsubo Marine

The shark was identified by marine biologist Tien from the Eastern Marine Biology Research
Center (a part of the Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute). It was 3.9 meter long, weighed 350 kilograms, and its mouth measured 75 centimeters across when opened.

The shark has now been purchased for NT$18,000 (US$549) by Chen Wen-jung, owner of a local shark museum where the fish will be displayed as a preserved specimen. Wen-jung said he has collected dozens of shark specimens but that this was his first Megamouth.

In late March 2009, a 500-kilogram, 4-meter long Megamouth shark was caught off Burias Island in the Philippines and turned into kinunot.

Big-mouthed but elusive
The Megamouth shark remained unknown to science until November 15, 1976 when a 4.5 meter long specimen became entangled in the sea anchor of a United States Navy ship about 25 miles off the coast off Kaneohe in Hawaii. Since then, the Megamouth has continued to be a rare sight and this deep water shark has for instance only been recorded on film three times.

The Megamouth is named after its gigantic mouth which it uses to filter out plankton and jellyfish from the water. When feeding, Megamouth swims around with its mouth wide open in a fashion similar to the Basking shark. The mouth is surrounded by luminous photophores, which may act as a lure for plankton or small fish. Megamouth can also be recognized on its large head and rubbery lips.

The elusive Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is such an uncommon sight that only 42 confirmed reports of this fish exists since the species was first scientifically described in 1976.

The most recent report, the 42nd one, comes from a group of Philippine fishermen from the city of Donsol who accidently caught a four-metre long specimen while trawling for mackerel.

Mega mouth shark exhibited at the Aburatsubo Marine

Worldwide Fund for Nature project manager Elson Aca examined the fish and identified it as a megamouth shark. The shark weighed an estimated 500 kg and was captured at a depth of 200 metres off the eastern coast of Burias Isle. This wasn’t the shark’s first encounter with fishing gear; it had scars on its face from gill nets.

Soon after being landed at Barangay Dancalan in Donsol, the shark died. Aca entreated the fishermen not to butcher the shark, but the fishermen had a more traditional than scientific approach to caught fish and promptly cooked it with coconut milk, malunggay leaves and chilli to make a Philipine dish known as kinunot.

According to Aca, the the Donsol-Masbate region deserve more attention from conversationalists.

“The presence of two of the world’s three filter feeding sharks warrants special attention for the Donsol-Masbate region”, Aca said. “Whale and megamouth sharks, manta rays, dolphins and other charismatic giants indicate that the region’s ecosystem is still relatively healthy. By protecting megafauna, we help maintain the dynamic balance of our seas, and ensure the entire ecosystem’s resilience and natural productivity.”