Rare Megamouth Shark Species Killed Off African Coast, Sold For $17; How Rare Are These Elusive Creatures?

A rare megamouth shark species has been sold for just $17 after being caught and killed off the African coast.

Megamouth Shark Killed, Sold For $17

The megamouth shark was found in a market in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It was sold for the equivalent of just $17.

Marine biologist Rhett H. Bennett from the Wildlife Conservation Society wrote in an article that an artisanal fishing vessel caught the shark in the waters of Zanzibar. It then landed at a Pemba Island beach. For the price of 43,000 Tanzanian shillings, which is equivalent to US$17, the shark was sold.

Bennett expresses sadness at the sight of the dead creature lying on the beach. Nevertheless, it was a crucial record. This megamouth shark is just the sixth one that has ever been spotted in Africa. It is also the only megamouth shark that has been discovered along Africa's east coast.

A rarely seen megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) was recently spotted in east Africa for the very first time. It was recorded in a market in Zanzibar, where it was being sold after being captured and killed. https://t.co/JoJyIDBPpU #MegamouthShark #EnvironmentAndEnergy
— The Conversation Africa (@TC_Africa) March 3, 2024

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How Rare Are Megamouth Sharks?

The discovery of megamouth sharks can be traced back to 1976, when a US Navy research vessel accidentally caught a specimen off the coast of Hawaii. Since this first sighting, there have only been roughly 280 megamouth shark sightings all over the world.

Only very little knowledge is known about megamouth sharks because of their elusive nature. These sharks are believed to live as deep as 15,000 feet in the ocean. Their name has been based on their large mouths. These sharks are also filter feeders that make use of their massive mouths to take in water and filter small fish, jellyfish, and plankton. Megamouth sharks have several small teeth with a mesh-like pattern arrangement. Their teeth help them with the filtering process.

The megamouth shark has been recorded to span up to seven meters in length, making it a bit larger compared to the great white shark. However, most of the recorded megamouth sharks have not exceeded a length of 5.5 meters, which is equivalent to a tiger shark's length or an adult giraffe's height.

While megamouth sharks are thought to have a wide distribution, their elusive nature makes it hard for their habitat preferences to be studied. They are believed to have vertical migrations, wherein they are near the surface during the night to consume plankton. During the day, they are thought to descend to greater depths. The rare sightings of megamouth sharks suggest that it could be a solitary creature.

Because of the limited available data and the rarity of these sharks, they were initially classified as "data deficient" by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). However, since they have been seen across the globe, they apparently don't dwell in habitats that fishing vessels threaten.

The sighting comes shortly after the first pregnant megamouth shark was spotted washed up in the Philippines. Its unborn pups were also spotted along the beach.