Rare megamouth shark caught by Japanese fishermen

Japanese fisherman found themselves with a remarkable catch on Thursday as they pulled up a rare megamouth shark.

The female shark weighed in at 1,500 pounds and was over 13 feet in length, reports WPTV. The megamouth was taken to the Shizuoka City Marine Science Museum, where it was dissected in front of about 1,500 people. The remains of the shark are currently on display.

According to Japan Daily Press, the shark was caught at a depth of about 2,600 feet, but it isn't clear where off the coast of Japan fisherman nabbed the shark.

Despite the rarity of the filter-feeding shark, they have been spotted in three different oceans and off the coasts of several different countries, including South Africa, Japan, Australia, Brazil and the United States, notes Discovery. There have only been 55 confirmed sightings, with several more unconfirmed.

A megamouth was discovered near the Philippines after it got caught in fishermen's nets, where it died as it tried to free itself.

image from Twitter via Onnyou

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