An extraordinary discovery has shaken the morning of tourists on the Tuscan coast. On the Tony’s beach in Follonica, in the province of Grosseto, some swimmers spotted the carcass of an impressive flathead shark (Hexanchus griseus), remained stranded among the rocks on the shore. The animal, characterized by monumental dimensions with a measured length of 4.5 meters and an estimated weight of around 550 kilograms, generated initial dismay among those present, although experts immediately threw water on the fire: it is a completely harmless and non-aggressive species for humans.
This predator, also known as a sixgill shark due to its lateral respiratory slits, permanently populates the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Since it is an animal that prefers muddy seabeds and moves with slow movements, the close encounter near the shoreline is to be considered an event of absolute scientific rarity. The complex logistical machine for the recovery of the biomass was activated immediately after the witnesses reported, requiring the coordinated use of heavy vehicles to extract the large body from the stone blocks.
The expert operations of marine biologists at the port of Scarlino
The majestic specimen was removed from the Tuscan beach and urgently transferred to the Fiumara del Puntone pier, in the port of Scarlino, to allow biological surveys to be carried out. Leading the first field investigations was Professor Letizia Marsili of the University of Siena who, supported by her academic collaborators, performed the first necropsy examinations on the carcass. The primary objective of the scientific team is to establish whether death occurred due to internal pathologies or due to a violent impact with a hull.
The subsequent phases of dissection and detailed anatomical study were entrusted to Professor Primo Micarelli, a well-known expert on marine fauna. The autopsy analysis on the body of the large predator will allow us to collect fundamental data on the state of health of the species. The flathead is considered a lazy animal that rarely rises to the surface; recent studies conducted last April in the area of Ischia, Campania, confirmed the presence of rich nuclei of these sharks in deep ocean areas dotted with important submerged coral reefs.
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