Megamouth Shark #27 Captured In Purse Seine off Japan

February 5, 2005

Sources of Information:
Masami Furuta
Toba Aquarium

A megamouth shark was captured with a purse seine set off the coast of Kisei0cho Nishiki, Mie, Japan. The purse seine was set at a depth of 200 meters around 5:00am on January 23, 2005. We received a phone call informing us of the possible catch of a megamouth shark. We went to the fishing port but by the time we arrived, the megamouth was already dead. This megamouth was a female with a body length of 528 centimeters. The megamouth was hoisted onto a truck with the assistance of a lift and was transported to the Toba Aquarium where it was placed in a freezer. In then near future, we will taxidermy this animal for display at the aquarium.

This is the third megamouth from the Mie Prefecture. The first time a megamouth shark was captured in the Mie prefecture was off Owase City, Mikisaki on April 30, 1997. The latest megamouth capture here was in Mihama-cho Atawa Mie on April 23, 1998.

Megamouth #27
© Masami Furuta

Megamouth #27
© Masami Furuta