Haight (1990a); Haight (1990b); [Anonymous] (1990a, b, c, d); [Anonymous] (1991a, b); Lavenberg (1991); Nelson et al. (1997)
Specimen was taken alive, then fitted with two ultrasonic transmitters and tracked for two days. The shark was observed to move close to the surface at night and deeper during the day.
[Anonymous] (2002); Sanchez (2002); Smale (2002); Smale et al. (2002)
Collected from the beach by Vic Cockcroft of the Centre for Dolphin Studies. Tissue samples taken. Specimen was examined, measured and dissected by Malcolm Smale and Leonard Compagno. Mould of the animal was used for educational displays.
Caught by fisherman Eldiposo Pabaida. Personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 10 (BFAR 10) measured the specimen and took several photographs.
TL(estimate): 20–25 ft (6–7.6 m); WT (estimate): 5 tons
Sighted at sea
Released
Robbins (2003)
Sighted by Scott Caldwell from the Leslie Anne. A rope was temporarily tied around the animal's tail, preventing escape. No photographs taken; unconfirmed sighting.
Caught by small fishing vessel that was unable to bring it aboard. Assisted by the Ecuadorian tuna fish ship Betty Elizabeth. Animal was alive at time of capture and regurgitated food consisting mainly of Engraulis ringens. Surface temperature of the sea was 23.6 °C.
Elizaga (2005a); Elizaga (2005b); Lumingkit et al. (2005); Ellorin (2005)
Caught by fisherman Sofronio Casañares. It pulled Casañares's paddle-driven banca for around an hour before stopping, apparently due to exhaustion. Specimen was dissected prior to burial.
On display at the Regional Fisheries Center of Ensenada
Castillo-Géniz (2006)
Accidentally caught by crew of the commercial shark boat F/V Corina del Mar. Examined on November 28 by team of technicians and students led by José Leonardo Castillo-Géniz. Samples taken of stomach contents, teeth, and dermal denticles.
[Anonymous] (2007); Lin (2007); [Anonymous] (2011a, b, c)
Brought to Ishinomaki port and fish market in Miyagi Prefecture. Frozen and transferred to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Dissected at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium between March 1–3, 2011, in preparation for plastination. During dissection, internal organs were removed, vertebrae sampled for age determination, and head subjected to a CT scan.
Died during capture. Tied up and towed to Barangay Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon. Identified by Elson Aca of WWF. Cuts found near left side of mouth. Several shrimplarvae found in stomach.
Purchased by fish dealer in northeastern Taiwan "in poor condition, described as tattered and broken or perhaps even cut open". Photographs taken of jaw and flesh chunks only.
Found being entrapped in a set net in early morning, and on 15th, an aquarium at Osaka tried to purchase the individual alive and make it the first exhibition of live animal in the world, but the shark was found missing in 6am, likely to surpass the net rather than breaking through it.
Sent to Ensenada, Mexico, to be sliced into pieces, examined, and photographed. Gill and muscle structure studied by researchers from Mexico and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Captured by same vessel that caught specimen #38.
Information and photographs provided by Alex Buttigieg (Mollet, 2012). While some fishermen claimed that another shark shored at Ishibashi area nearby was even bigger, the others consider that this report was of the same individual.[4]
Genetic samples were taken from the specimen by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the National Museum of the Philippines
Based on injuries in the dorsal and ventral parts, it is believed to have died after becoming entangled in fishing nets. Strong waves and bad weather may have also contributed.
Pregnant female about to give birth with several juveniles unborn and three birthed that also died, for a total of 7 pups. Cause of death is unknown, but not caused by human intervention.
Measurements
BD – body diameter.
PCL – precaudal length, also known as normal length. It is the length from the tip of the snout to the precaudal pit measured in a straight line.
TL – total length from the tip of the snout to the tip of the longer lobe of the caudal fin, usually measured with the lobes compressed along the midline. It is a straight line measure, not measured over the curve of the body.
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