This distressing video shows the moment a fisherman cuts 34 pups from the belly of a pregnant shark they caught on a fishing expedition.
The 13ft hammerhead was captured by the crew aboard sport-fishing boat 'Phoenix' off the coast of Destin, Florida.
But tragically, as it was dragged behind the fishing vessel, the animal died.
Fishermen said they had planned to release their catch - which died is believed to have died because of the immense stress it was forced to endure.
In the clip, a crew members can be seen cutting open the shark's belly before removing the dozens of pups from her stomach.
On their Facebook page, the Phoenix team wrote: "We would have released it, but the shark died during the long battle."
Hammerhead sharks are known to be extremely sensitive, and prone to stress-related deaths.
Florida state law prohibits the capture of hammerheads, and states that any that die 'on the line' must be returned to sea, according to EarthTouch News.
But this particular endangered creature was fished in federal waters, where the protections do not apply.
Pregnant female sharks are particularly vulnerable to sport-fishing - as their size makes them a prized catch for fisherman.
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