Rare megamouth shark caught by fishermen in Japan (Photo)

An incredibly rare Megamouth shark has been snared by fishermen.

The animal was caught in fishing nets around five kilometres from the Owase Port in Mie Prefecture, central Japan.

The deepwater shark, known as “megamouth” for its use of its massive mouth to catch food while swimming, was caught in fishing nets roughly five kilometers from the Owase Port in central Japan, according to Yahoo.

Photos of the megamouth show fisherman holding the shark’s enormous mouth open for the camera.

The shark reportedly weighs a ton.

Megamouth sharks have only been spotted roughly 60 times since their discovery in 1976, the Daily Mail reports. Most have been found in water near Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, though the first discovery was off the Hawaiian coast.

Agencies/Canadajournal