Inside: The goblin shark is a weird-looking prehistoric creature of the the ocean depths. Think Alien crossed with shark!
Goblin Shark profile – Justin, CC BY 2.0, via flickr
The Goblin Shark is a weird, disturbing-looking deep-sea creature. Think of a shark crossed with the alien from movie fame and you’ve got a good picture in your mind of this nightmare at sea. It is certainly not a creature you want to come face to face with, either in the ocean or in your dreams!
Mitsukurina owstoni, aka the goblin shark, is found in deep water near the ocean floor along the coasts of Japan, Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It has a pale grey, soft, flabby and blade-like body with a pink-white belly, pink due to blood vessels visible because of the transparent skin.
Goblin shark scaled with human –
Kurzon (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wiki Commons
Its jaws are sharp with fang-like teeth – a goblin from fairy tales
With an average weight of 460 lbs and length of 15.2 feet it is an imposing predator of the deep ocean. It survives on sting rays, mollusks, crabs and squid which it finds in the murky depths using electrosensitive body organs.
The most imposing feature of the goblin shark, I believe, is its jaw. It is used in a unique way to capture its prey. The jaw shoots out (think Alien monster) and with a sucking motion it draws prey back into its mouth. Using its razor-sharp teeth it slices through its victim.
Alien Jaw – “Mistukurina owstoni museum victoria – head detail”
Dianne Bray / Museum, CC BY 3.0 au via Wiki Commons
Do we have to fear this prehistoric creature? An encounter with this ugly shark is unlikely due to its murky, deep ocean home 4800 feet below. Fear not the goblin shark!
I’m Teresa Coppens, science geek, book nerd, educator, coffee lovin’ mom with a coconut aversion. My entire family is crazy about science including my cats! I am passionate about the weird and unusual. Here in my cabinet of science curiosities get your science geek on. Grab a cup of your favorite brew, get comfortable at Science Alcove and learn to love your inner science geek!
I hated the movie Alien! Suddenly I want to unread this post, yet, I find it strangely fascinating! HAHA! 😆 :
Sorry but I found those movies chillingly fascinating. That’s what drew me to this particular creature. Glad you got a little thrill lol!
That is one crazy shark. I wonder what it uses the blade on its nose for.
Some of them have a sharp blade that can be used in capturing prey. I’m wondering if electro receptors are in higher abundance there for locating prey for capture with their jaw!
Could be!