対馬で幻のサメ「メガマウスザメ」見つかる

A megamouth shark, known as the "phantom giant shark," was found at a fishing port in Tsushima City. Experts state, "It is rare to find it on the Sea of Japan side, and there are no previous cases in Tsushima." The megamouth shark, leisurely swimming in the sea, gets its name from its characteristic large mouth. The megamouth shark was caught in a set net in Mine Town, Tsushima City, on the morning of the 29th. Although it was initially released back into the open sea, it was found again by locals at the port on the morning of the 30th. It is estimated to be about 6 meters in length and weigh around 1 ton. It was later confirmed that the megamouth shark had died. The local fishing cooperative retrieved it this morning. The footage of the megamouth shark was shown to an expert for verification. Prof. Atsuko Yamaguchi, a fishery science expert from Nagasaki University's Faculty of Fisheries: "I believe it is a megamouth shark. The megamouth shark is highly distinctive with its large mouth and black spots on its lower jaw, as well as the shape of its head." The megamouth shark, which can live in deep waters around 1,500 meters, sometimes appears near the coast in pursuit of its plankton prey. It is said that there have been no previous sightings in Tsushima. "As far as we know, there have been about 30 sightings of megamouth sharks in Japan, mostly on the Pacific side. There was only one stranding in Hakata Bay, Fukuoka, which was the sole case on the Sea of Japan side. So, this would be the second case." Many megamouth sharks have been sighted near Taiwan, and they are believed to migrate across the Pacific Ocean. However, much of their behavior, including their breeding methods, remains shrouded in mystery. As for why it was found in Tsushima this time... Prof. Atsuko Yamaguchi, a fishery science expert from Nagasaki University's Faculty of Fisheries: "It may be that they sometimes travel not only on the Pacific side but also to the East China Sea and around Tsushima. It might also be that there were no confirmed sightings on that side until now. At this stage, it's difficult to say why." On the other hand, since female megamouth sharks are known to be larger than males, it is believed that the megamouth shark found this time is "likely to be female." It is planned that Prof. Yamaguchi will take custody of this megamouth shark for research purposes.