Rare Megamouth Shark Caught Off Coast Of Japan

A rare megamouth shark was captured off the shores of Japan and dissected in front of an audience at the Marine Science Museum in Shizuoka City.

Fisherman reportedly caught the megamouth shark from a depth of 2,600 feet, though the conditions of its capture are unclear. It is the 58th megamouth sighting ever recorded – the first sighting was in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii. The shark lives at extreme depths and only rises to the surface of the ocean at night for feedings.

The megamouth shark can grow up to 17 feet long, and the shark caught in Japan weighed a reported 1,500 pounds.

The megamouth shark is so mysterious, it was featured on Discovery’s Shark Week as part of the Alien Sharks program.

More like this:

_{> Shrimper Catches Rare Goblin Shark Off The Florida Coast}

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.