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Pregnant megamouth shark washed up on beach is first ever seen

A female megamouth shark was found in the Philippines with one pup alongside her and six fetuses inside her body

By Melissa Hobson

4 December 2023

Megamouth sharks are rarely seen by humans

BIOSPHOTO / Alamy

A megamouth shark that stranded in the Philippines is the first pregnant individual ever recorded in this rare species.

The finding confirms that megamouths (Megachasma pelagios) are ovoviviparous: their eggs develop inside the mother’s body and she gives birth to live young.

Discovered by scientists in 1976, megamouths are filter-feeding sharks that live in the deep sea. Fewer than 120 individuals have ever been captured or observed.

A 5.6-metre-long female stranded in the Philippines’ Aurora province on 14 November. One pup was found…

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