A rare shark that washed up on Muriwai Beach is to be embalmed for research at the Auckland Museum of Natural Sciences.
Museum staff on Monday picked up the 2.6-metre-long oceanic whitetip shark, discovered on the west Auckland beach at the weekend.
Spokesperson Tom Trnski says six pups from the pregnant shark will also be used for research to find out more about the species' diet and anatomy.
He says it's a very rare find in New Zealand, with the species usually only seen in warm waters near the equator.
Mr Trnski says Auckland iwi Ngati Whatua gifted the mammal to the museum.
In February this year, Auckland filmmaker Adam Strange was killed by a shark - believed to be a great white - at Muriwai Beach.