MANILA — The first-ever sighting of a pregnant megamouth shark — an elusive deepwater fish — was recorded in Dipaculao, Aurora, the National Museum of the Philippines confirmed in a Facebook post.

The 5.6-meter-long shark, pregnant with 7 pups, washed ashore lifeless in Barangay Ipil on November 14, the National Museum reported.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region III veterinarian Princess Ann Tayag administered the necropsy on the mother shark and one of its pups, under the supervision of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.

The six other pups were sent to the National Museum for preservation to be part of its reference collections and future exhibitions.

The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios), named after its enormous mouth, is the smallest among the species of sharks that feed on plankton, along with the bigger whale and basking sharks. It was discovered in 1976.

Most recorded sightings of the megamouth shark in the Philippines are due to stranding and entanglement in fishing gear, the National Museum said.

Next to Taiwan, the Philippines ranks second globally as an important habitat for the species, the museum added.