The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world. (Photo : Wikimedia)
Local fishermen in Australia have apparently caught a basking shark so huge by accident as this creature of the deep can provide scientists the opportunity to further examine and study the second largest fish in the world.
The fish measures around 6.3 meters around 20 feet that has been literally causing waves in Australia however only little has been known of the fish species which is relatively smaller than a whale shark, rarely seen on Southern Hemisphere oceans.
This extremely rare specimen has been donated and is now housed in the Museum Victoria located south of Melbourne where scientists are planning to examine the body to further study the basking shark's genetic code, eating habits and evolutionary history.
The museum also houses three other specimens of basking sharks however every shark is over 80 years old. The museum will now host a full scale exhibition model of the shark's head and fins that will be open to the public soon.
According to the museum's senior curator of ichthyology Martin Gomon, this extremely rare encounter with the basking shark will now provide missing pieces of the puzzle that can hopefully provide a clearer picture for biological research and conservation efforts.
The museum describes the basking shark as slow moving where they thrive on plankton, growing up to 12 meters long. However, what makes them unique is their tiny teeth that measures about two millimeters as they filter and trap tiny plankton, krill and jellyfish in their huge, gaping mouths.
Basking sharks are also migratory creatures however they are only observed in few populated coastal locations like Cornwall, England where they usually dive deep into the ocean depths to search for food.
This particular shark however, was snagged by a fishing trawler while it was at the Bass Strait in the region of the Australian southeast coast.
According to Museum Victoria's senior collection manager of vertebrate zoology Dianne Bray, these sharks have been spotted off Victoria but they are never observed in large numbers, indicating that their population numbers is still unknown to biologists.
