A bizarre deep-sea “dragon” shark has washed up on a tourist beach.
The body of the Portuguese shark (centroscymnus coelolepis) – which normally hunts for food at depths of 3,500m – weighed 40lbs (18kg).
And the female, which was pregnant, measured an amazing 4’8” (1.45m) in length.
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Able to withstand pressures of 350 atmospheres, the species primarily feeds on fish, cephalopods, gastropods, and cetaceans.
An effective hunter, its attacks on giant squid – such as the Dana octopus squid – have been documented.
It washed up on Luarca Beach located west of Gijón, north-western Spain, on Saturday (10 Jan).
The Portuguese shark, also known as the Portuguese dogfish, used to be fished in the Cantabrian Sea – along with other bottom-dwelling sharks such as the centrophorus squamosus – primarily for its meat and for oil production.
But due to overfishing and their slow growth rate, the species’ population has declined and catching them is now prohibited.
They are categorised as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Luis Laria, president of the Centre for Studies and Protection of Marine Species, carried out an autopsy on the shark to determine its exact cause of death and work out why it washed up on the beach.
He said: “We found this incredible creature on Luarca Beach.
“Can you imagine living with 350kg of weight on every square centimetre of your body?
“Well, this shark, centroscymnus coelolepises, is able to withstand those immense pressures (350 atmospheres) and enjoy depths of up to 3,500m.”
Luis added: “Walking makes our bodies feel heavy and tired, now multiply that by 350!”
After carrying out the autopsy on Sunday, Luis said they could not accurately determine what killed the creature, as reported by Need To Know.
However, they suspect that it was hooked by a fishing crew but managed to escape, fatally injuring itself in the process.
“A detailed external and internal examination revealed no conclusive evidence of a cause of death,” Luis said.
“Initially, nothing remarkable was found, only the presence of blood in the mouth, oesophagus, and, although minimal, the stomach.
“Upon dissection and removal of the internal organs, we were initially surprised by the presence of gestation, with 12 large eggs (7cm in diameter each) containing developing embryos, and another nine undeveloped eggs averaging only 1cm in length.
“The liver was also extracted and weighed 5kg, representing 27.78% of the shark’s weight of 18 kilograms.
“An examination of the digestive tract revealed no food remains, including in the spiral valve.
“Upon closer inspection of the short oesophagus, an irregular, anomalous 3.5-cm tear was observed in its wall.
“This last observation further strengthens our suspicion of the possible cause of death: accidental capture.
“The hook, possibly from a longline, became embedded, and the animal managed to free itself, expelling it, but not before causing irreversible damage through tearing and haemorrhaging, which led to its subsequent stranding.”
Many locals likened the creature to the characters Toothless and Shadow from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
Isabel said: “If you’ve seen How to Train Your Dragon, remember Shadow’s face.”
“It looks like the black dragon from the movie How to Train Your Dragon,” added Leticia.
And Laura noted: “Those eyes are strange, they remind me of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.”
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