A fisherman made a surprising catch of a 143-pound opah off Tubabao Island in the Philippines on Tuesday just hours after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the central Philippines. A fisheries expert believes the quake led to the catch.
The opah, a fish that lives in deep water from 165 to 1,640 feet, was probably “spooked” by the earthquake shockwaves causing it to surface in the shallow waters around the island in Oras, or so the fisheries expert strongly believes, according to Philippine News Agency.
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“This was quite a revelation, seeing this magnificent fish,” Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Juan Albaladejo told PNA. “We know that it is quite abundant in our eastern seaboard, usually schooling with highly migratory tuna species but rarely seen.”
The colorful fish, also known as a moonfish, was caught with hook and line by Armando Amos, who sold the fish at a local market for approximately $250.
According to NOAA Fisheries, little research on the basic biology and ecology of the opah has been conducted, despite its value to commercial and recreational fishermen. Most opah are caught in longline fisheries and average about 100 pounds with a diameter of 3 feet.
Photos courtesy of Ranilo Ebron.