Plastic ingestion by Bigeye Thresher shark Alopias superciliosus off Ratnagiri southwest coast of India

Marine debris a majority of which is plastic is negatively affecting the survival of aquatic life worldwide. Ingestion of plastic debris by turtles, seabirds, marine mammals, and occasionally fish has been well documented but from sharks are rare from Indian Coast. The specimen obtained measured 346 cm in total length (TL), 190 cm in standard length (SL) and weighed 51 kg. The gut was examined thoroughly and 2 transparent plastic covers weighing 3.48 g and 4.32 g of 40 micron each with an area of 1200 cm² respectively partially in tampered condition was pulled out from the foregut region. Therefore microplastic ingestion is now a common phenomenon not only affecting the lower trophic level animals but also sharks which constitute an important predator group in marine ecosystems and consequently play an essential role on energy exchange within the highest trophic levels.