Megamouth Shark #34

January 26, 2006

Release from: Ian Sala of the Bayawan City Department of Agriculture

This megamouth became entangled in a fishing net at approximately 1 a.m. on January 26, 2006. The Department of Agriculture received the fish at 7 a.m. in Barangay Pagatban, about 4 kilometers from the shore. The megamouth was already very weak and died at 7:15 a.m. There was loss of blood from the gills, however there were no wounds on its back as previously reported. The megamouth must have drowned due to the long entanglement in the fish net. The stomach was opened, revealing very small shrimp. The remains of the fish were buried. This female specimen was 5 meters in length and weighed 750 kilograms.

Megamouth #34 - Bayawan City, Southern Oriental Negros, Phillippines
© Angelo Gasendo of Bayawan City