Strange-looking catch draws the crowd

Stingray or shark?: Villagers from Pekan Baru taking a closer look at the fish.

BUTTERWORTH: THREE fishermen from Teluk Air Tawar were surprised when they caught a unique fish that had a stingray-like head and a shark’s body off Muka Head, Penang.
The grayish-black leathery fish, measuring 1.4m-long and weighing 21kg, resembled the Australian black stingray from the front.

It however had pectoral, dorsal, caudal, pelvic and anal fins similar to a shark.
Shahrom Johan, 29, said he and his two other friends were heading home at about 12.30pm on Monday when they suddenly noticed the fish swimming near their boat.

“We initially tried catching it using a pole with a spearhead, but failed.

“We then picked it up by its tail using our bare hands as it seemed rather tame,” he said at the Pekan Baru fishing village in Butterworth.

Shahrom said the white-bellied fish had a rough body texture with tiny spikes on its head and back.

He said he has kept it in an icebox since nobody dared to buy the strange-looking fish.
“We are willing to give it to the state Fisheries Department if it is keen on conducting a research on it,” he said.

Scores of people, especially from the village, made a beeline to catch a glimpse of the fish.

Source: The Star
Thursday January 17, 2008