It is hoped a rare, juvenile basking shark that washed ashore in South Westland will give scientists an opportunity to discover more about the “elusive species”.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the shark — measuring 3.45m — was removed from its location on Gillespies Beach and would be relocated to Auckland War Memorial Museum for preservation and further research.
While basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world and can grow to more than 12m, very little is known about the reproductive biology of the species as records of juveniles and pregnant females are “exceptionally rare globally”, DOC said.
Marine science advisor Karen Middlemiss said it was a “hugely valuable opportunity for us to assist with filling global knowledge gaps for this elusive species”.
The sharks are considered globally endangered by the IUCN Red List and are Threatened-Nationally Vulnerable in New Zealand waters. They are also protected under the Wildlife Act 1953.
Auckland War Memorial Museum’s marine biology curator Clinton Duffy said schools of adult basking sharks in their hundreds were regularly seen around the South Island during spring and summer up until the early 2000s.
“The abrupt disappearance of these large inshore schools has caused concern for the species’ status in New Zealand and more generally, because New Zealand was considered the hotspot for the species in the Southern Hemisphere.”
He said researchers hoped the specimen would shed some light on the species’ early life.
“The snouts of new-born basking sharks are greatly elongated and have a groove running along the underside of them to the mouth. As they grow the snout becomes more normal in appearance.
“Shark biologists have yet to establish what function, if any, the unusual morphology (shape) of the snout plays in the life and development of the basking sharks. Most juvenile sharks are miniature versions of the adults. It’s just one of the many mysteries associated with this species,” said Duffy.
