Dramatic Mix-Up: Fishermen Mistake Whale Shark for Teak Fish in Machilipatnam

A dispute arose when a group of fishermen alleged they had caught a teak fish (stingray) in the waters off Gilakaladindi in Machilipatnam, Krishna district. Authorities from the fisheries department dismissed the assertion. As per accounts, fishermen who set out to sea caught a 1.5-ton teak fish near the Gilakaladindi shoreline. Subsequently, Chennai-based traders bought the fish from the fishermen. Nonetheless, Chandrasekhar, the fisheries development officer for Krishna district, informed the Deccan Chronicle that the creature in question was actually a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and not a teak fish.