Basking shark moved to the Zagreb Fair
The largest exhibit of the Croatian Natural History Museum has been moved.
The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, caught in the Adriatic Sea back in 1934, has been moved to a safe location at the Zagreb Fair, where it will remain until the completion of the museum renovation, co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and by the City of Zagreb, at the end of 2023.
The basking shark exhibit, representing the second-largest fish species after the whale shark, arrived at the museum back in 1934. According to newspaper reports from that time, the shark, more than eight meters long and weighing over two tons, was caught near Kraljevica.
Thanks to the efforts of Professor Krunoslav Babić, then director of the Croatian National Zoological Museum, the basking shark became part of the museum display.
Harmless to humans, the basking shark feeds on zooplankton, which it filters from seawater using a gill system located in five large gill arches. During intensive feeding, it filters almost 1,800 tons of seawater per hour.
It usually swims in groups of 12 to 15 individuals, and the most commonly recorded specimens are between 3 and 12 meters long.
The preparation was carried out by the renowned museum preparator Pavao Allinger. During the preparation process, he spent two days separating and cleaning the skin, which alone weighed around 800 kg, while the liver weighed an impressive 250 kg.
Due to its weight and the impossibility of manipulation, the basking shark has remained displayed in the place where it originally arrived. Until today, when it is temporarily moving to the Zagreb Fair premises until the museum renovation is completed.
Over the past two years alone, the Croatian Natural History Museum has moved all of its holdings to the newly built storage facility in Novi Petruševec, the only specialized museum storage facility in Croatia, and to the Zagreb Fair premises in New Zagreb.
The Museum is currently undergoing a renovation worth more than 118 million kuna, co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and by the City of Zagreb.
The works have been underway since December of last year and are expected to be completed by the end of 2023, when citizens and visitors to Zagreb will be able to enjoy the renewed splendour of the fully restored Amadeo Palace in the Upper Town.