Rare Megamouth shark caught in Japan

The aptly-named shark swims with mouth open to catch plankton and other food

Fishermen hold the shark's huge mouth open (Sunrise/Channel 7)

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 five-metre long shark weighed around a ton, according to Yahoo Australia, and was bought by a Japanese fishmonger.

Since they were discovered in 1976, only 60 specimens are known to have been spotted.

The aptly named shark swims with mouth open to catch plankton and other food.

A man lies next to the Megamouth shark to show how long it is (Sunrise/Channel 7)

Megamouth sharks swim at a depth of around 120-160m during the day, but rise up to 12 metres during the night.

They were first discovered off the coast of Hawaii, when one became caught in the anchor of a US Navy ship.

The species is usually found near Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.