Endangered Megamouth Shark Eaten in Donsol, Philippines

One of the world's rarest sharks ends up in the pot after being accidentally caught in fishing nets in Donsol, Philippines

Fishermen in the Philippines accidentally caught a megamouth shark 41, one of the rarest fish in the world and later ate it after it had been identified. Only 40 other sightings of the shark have ever been recorded, according to the World Wildlife Fund.



The 500kg, four metre megamouth (Megachasma pelagios) died while struggling in the fishermen's net on March 30 off Burias island. It was taken to nearby Donsol in Sorsogon province, said Gregg Yan, a spokesman for WWF-Philippines.

But Elson Aca, a Donsol WWF representative, said it was butchered and its meat sauteed in coconut milk as a local delicacy, against the organisation's advice.

The megamouths are docile filter-feeders. Their blubbery mouths are almost one metre wide and are lined with a brilliant silver band to attract plankton. Yan said the Burias megamouth's stomach revealed it had been feeding on shrimp larvae.