A giant shark that inhabits the deep sea, “Kagura Shark”. It is also called a “living fossil” because it retains the characteristics of ancient sharks.
(Featured image provided by Kuri Aiba)
TSUURINEWS Editorial Department
July 31, 2022
others fish research institute
Giant deep-sea shark unloaded
Taitung County in the eastern part of Taiwan has a deep sea off the coast, and deep-sea fisheries such as cherry shrimp are being carried out. In mid-July, a kind of large deep-sea shark, the “Kagura Shark”, was landed at Xingang Fishing Port in Taitung Prefecture, making international news.
shark shark(Provided by: 館國kong glass)The landed individual is a surprising size with a length of about 4m and a weight of 570kg. In areas where deep-sea fishing is practiced, it is sometimes caught as bycatch along with the target seafood, but the number is small, and even local fishermen are said to be surprised that they have never seen it before.
What kind of shark is a shark?
The stingray shark is a type of deep-sea shark that inhabits water depths of 200 to 2,500 meters around the world. It looks like an ordinary shark with a slightly clogged face, and it seems that the character is thin among deep-sea sharks, which have many odd shapes.
However, it has some characteristics that are absolutely different from other sharks, such as the 5 pairs of gill holes found in normal sharks, and the 6 pairs found in sharks. This shark is also called a “living fossil” because it is also a characteristic of primitive sharks.
mussel shark muscle(Provided by: Rong Benlang)It seems that the variety of food is abundant, and various fish, crustaceans, squid, octopuses, shellfish, and marine mammals have been found in the stomachs of captured individuals. They are also viviparous, which is rare among fish, and they hatch eggs in the womb and give birth to dozens of juveniles at a time.
There are many mysteries about the ecology of all sharks, but this shark is a deep-sea species, so there are few examples of capture itself, and little is known about the detailed ecology. For this reason, research is underway in various countries.
On the next page, what is the taste of “Kagura shark” that you are interested in?
The state of emergency has been lifted, but please check the latest information from the government regarding going out, and try to wear a mask and avoid the 3Cs. I sincerely hope that the smiles of anglers will return to all fishing spots and boathouses as soon as possible.