Rare megamouth shark caught, eaten in Philippines

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Fishermen in the Philippines accidentally caught and later ate a megamouth shark, one of the rarest fishes in the world with only 40 others recorded to have been encountered, the World Wildlife Fund said Tuesday.

The 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) 13-foot (4-meter) megamouth died while struggling in the fishermen's net on March 30 off Burias island in the central Philippines. It was taken to nearby Donsol in Sorsogon province, where it was butchered and eaten, said Gregg Yan, spokesman for WWF-Philippines.

Yan said a WWF Donsol Project Manager Elson Aca took pictures of the megamouth and tried to dissuade the fishermen from eating it. Shark meat is the main ingredient in a local delicacy.

The first megamouth was discovered in Hawaii in 1976, prompting scientists to create an entirely new family and genus of sharks. The megamouths are docile filter-feeders with wide, blubbery mouths. Yan said the Burias megamouth's stomach revealed it was feeding on shrimp larvae.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_eE2BQjjK3fMKYkjtneOu-fB6owD97DJK100

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:-(

[BlooInBloo]

1. Do they have enough food in the Philipines?

[slampoet]

10. "megamouth died while struggling in the fishermen's net"

So they are supposed to just waste 700+ pounds of gourmet meat AND take a loss on the damage to their nets?


Have you ever eaten Shark? Have you ever had to do anything as difficult as fishing for a living?


Also since you seem to live in Seattle where there are Thousands of Filipino people why are you asking this question of DU when you could just ask your neighbors?

[BlooInBloo]

11. Um, are you insane?

[slampoet]

18. Ad hominem.

Try again

[slampoet]

32. I win.

[jpak]

2. "Rare" should read "rarely encountered by humans"

Megamouth sharks are widely distributed denizens of the very deep open ocean. They are planktivores (like whale and basking sharks) and are not caught on baited hooks.

It's not surprising that they have escaped human attention for so long...

[theoldman]

3. Even the Megamouth shark is smart enough to keep it's

mouth shut around humans.

[leftchick]

4. see how beautiful they are?

and I mean that sincerely.

[snake in the grass]

5. I personally feel this one is more awe-inspiring.

The Carcharodon carcharias is evolutionary perfection.

[jpak]

6. I vote for the Tasseled Wobbegone

[snake in the grass]

7. Impressive!

[jpak]

9. Adults are 10-13 feet long - and not to be trifled with...

:hi:

[AngryAmish]

30. My vote, the questing vole

[CoffeeCat]

19. That picture sends chills down my spine...

That is one terror-inspiring creature!

How come you know the long name of the Great White?

I remember it from the "Jaws" era...and I rarely see anyone mentioning it. Just curious. :)

[snake in the grass]

25. Being from Florida and growing up near the ocean...

...I was fascinated by marine biology since I could swim. Sharks, in particular, have always filled me with awe and the Great White really leaves me breathless. They are so fine-tuned to their environment that they have remained unchanged for millions of years. Sadly, we are a greater threat to them than they are to us, but, I admit, I wouldn't want to get too close to one, even though we are not normally on their dining plan.




Edit: I just remembered I have this funny composite as well. If the first one sent shivers down your spine, this one will really make you shake.

[dgauss]

23. That thing looks like it just ate a megamouth shark.

[pnorman]

20. And here's a video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVAbJoINVPo

pnorman

[Javaman]

8. There are so many human "megamouths" that should be killed and eaten...

but hey, that's me.

[snake in the grass]

28. I totally agree.

[Ken Burch]

29. Like THESE?

[Javaman]

31. too stringing and low on protein. LOL nt

[DJ13]

12. Tastes like chicken

of the Sea

[Baclava]

13. The Goblin shark is my new favorite

alien face with the pop-out jaw thingie - too cool





check out the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZzehRHxtB8

[pfitz59]

15. Model for Alien?

Wierd.....

[petronius]

24. Awesome! Ugly enough to be almost cute...

Moray eels have a pop-out jaw as well - in their case it's a second set of jaws down in the throat that shoots forward to grab food from the front jaws. Very Alien-like...

[snake in the grass]

27. That is definitely a winner...

...for originality. Totally awesome.

[MrSlayer]

14. Didn't they recently eat a bird that was thought extinct?

Don't they have McDonald's over there?

[and-justice-for-all]

16. Hahah!! Lemmy jeebus!! that's great...nt

[BattyDem]

17. LOL!

:rofl:

[CoffeeCat]

21. Snort!!!

Bwahahaha! That's great comedy, my friend!

[CoffeeCat]

22. Let's just hope...

...these hungry bastards don't ever catch a coelacanth.

[Ken Burch]

26. I'm ok with it if the meat went to the poor.

In Alaska, we don't waste food.

Even though I'm a vegetarian, if I lived in a village and they offered me bear or caribou or moose, I'd eat it.