Inside the secret room where the Natural History Museum stores its massive fish collection.
In short: Host Conor O'Keeffe and curator James Maclaine provide an exclusive look into the London Natural History Museum's Tank Room. This space houses a vast spirit collection, revealing how scientists preserve everything from colossal oarfish to predatory sharks for ongoing research.
The Natural History Museum in London maintains a staggering archive of over 80 million items, ranging from extraterrestrial meteorites to prehistoric dinosaur remains. While many visitors see the public exhibits, the Tank Room serves as a critical storage facility for the institution's extensive fish specimens.
During this tour, experts examine unique biological oddities, such as deep-sea anglerfish that exhibit parasitic mating behaviors and a massive sea bass. The collection also features two complete great white sharks. The curators explain the logistical challenges of preserving these creatures, including the specialized techniques required to fit exceptionally long specimens like the oarfish into storage jars.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: We’re going to need a bigger tank! Meet our sharks | Hidden Treasures | S1 EP2
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/ideas-we-re-going-to-need-a-bigger-tank-meet-our-sharks-hidden-tre.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
