A 15-foot megamouth shark recently washed ashore in the Philippines, giving scientists a rare up-close glimpse of the bizarre sea creature.
CBS News reports that fishermen discovered the lifeless body of the male shark on a beach in between the Albay and Masbate provinces last week Wednesday, Jan. 28. While the shark's cause of death has yet to be determined, the specimen may shed new light on the species scientists know as Megachasma pelagios.
Christopher Bird, a Ph.D. student who studies deep-sea sharks at the University of Southampton in England, told The Washington Post that: "We know so little about it. It wasn't discovered really until 1976. It's only really seen when it's accidentally caught in fishermen's nets or when it is stranded on beaches."
Megamouth sharks can reach up to 17 feet (5.2 metres) in length and have a life span of around 100 years.
CBS News reports that fishermen discovered the lifeless body of the male shark on a beach in between the Albay and Masbate provinces last week Wednesday, Jan. 28. While the shark's cause of death has yet to be determined, the specimen may shed new light on the species scientists know as Megachasma pelagios.
Christopher Bird, a Ph.D. student who studies deep-sea sharks at the University of Southampton in England, told The Washington Post that: "We know so little about it. It wasn't discovered really until 1976. It's only really seen when it's accidentally caught in fishermen's nets or when it is stranded on beaches."
Megamouth sharks can reach up to 17 feet (5.2 metres) in length and have a life span of around 100 years.
