In a first, pregnant megamouth shark spotted on Philippines beach

In a historic moment for marine biology, a pregnant megamouth shark, a rare and elusive deepwater species, was discovered washed up on a beach in the Philippines last month.This is only the 60th ever seen and the first ever observed to be pregnant.

The groundbreaking find revealed that megamouth sharks, specifically the Megachasma pelagios species, are ovoviviparous. This means that their offspring develop in eggs inside the mother, leading to live births, according to Science Alert.

The dead female megamouth, found on November 14 in Barangay Ipil, Dipaculao, Aurora Province, measured an impressive 5.6 metres(18.4 feet) in length. Her colossal mouth, a defining feature, was estimated to be approximately 1.3 metres wide.

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The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) shared this groundbreaking discovery on social media, hailing it as the world's first record of a pregnant megamouth shark. Scientists conducted a necropsy on the mother and one of its pups, providing valuable insights into the habits and physiology of thisspecies.

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While the Philippines ranks second only to Taiwan in megamouth shark sightings, most encounters involve stranded or accidentally entangled sharks. The species faces threats, stressing onthe need for conservation efforts to protect these rare creatures.

Mysterious deep-sea habits

Megamouth sharks, like many deep-sea inhabitants, are believed to spend the majority of their time at depths of up to 4,600 metres(15,100 feet) and surface primarily at night.

Their elusive nature and limited sightings since their discovery in 1976 make every observation a crucial opportunity for scientific understanding.

Despite their intimidating name and massive mouths, megamouth sharks pose no threat to humans.

(With inputs from agencies)