Meet Megamouth!
Distant Discoveries
Meet Megamouth III, our rare and extraordinary shark. This gentle giant is seldom seen by humans, so we are very lucky to have him! Its large gaping mouth, is indeed, very mega, hence its name.
Join the wonderful Victor, one of our Visitor Services Officers, as he tells this great Western Australian #DistantDiscoveries tale at the tank here in Fremantle.
Since the first of this species (Megachasma pelagios) was discovered in 1976, only about 100 specimens have been observed. Due to their elusive nature, little is known about the population health of the species.
The WA Museum’s specimen, Megamouth III, was the third specimen to be discovered. It was washed ashore at Mandurah some 50km south of Perth in August 1988.
Credit: WA Museum