The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a deep-sea shark, the sole living species in the family Mitsukurinidae. The most distinctive characteristic of the goblin shark is the unusual shape of its head. It has a long, trowel-shaped, beak-like rostrum or snout, much longer than other sharks’ snouts. Some other distinguishing characteristics of the shark are the color of its body, which is mostly pink, and its long, protrusible jaws. When the jaws are retracted, the shark resembles a pinkish sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus, with an unusually long nose.
Mitsukurina owstoni is found in the deep ocean, far below where the sun’s light can reach at depths greater than 200 m. They can be found throughout the world, from Australia in the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic Ocean. They are best known from the waters around Japan, where the species was first discovered. Goblin sharks feed on a variety of organisms that live in deep waters. Among some of their known prey are deep-sea squid, crabs, and deep-sea fish. Very little is known about the species’ life history and reproductive habits, as encounters with them have been relatively rare.
Watch video:
The Goblin Shark, Disturbing One of a Kind Footage
References:
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/types-of-shark/goblin-shark.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_shark
Those protrusible jaws is like something out of Alien.
ReplyDeleteVrai Anders Öhlund =)
ReplyDeleteLike a shark within a shark. It's amazing what life there is in our oceans and there is more to be discovered. It is a shame that we dump waste into it
ReplyDeleteOh that's nothing! There are some creatures down there that could only have been made from nightmares.
ReplyDeleteWell the ocean is a beautiful frightening place =)
ReplyDeleteOnly with today's tech are we capable of seeing short clip of how they move. Previously just a still shot and a shark like this would be hard to photograph. It's amazing to me to be able to learn new info this way. That's one scary shark but also fascinating how it moves!
ReplyDeleteThat awkward moment when you realize the thing on the left is a diver's arm.
ReplyDeleteWinstonSmith6079 The diver was fine as it was a small shark. See The Goblin Shark, Disturbing One of a Kind Footage which appears to be the source of the gif.
ReplyDeleteCool armor though, I think I remember reading about shark armor before.
I remember reading that article. Yet it only takes 14 lbs of pressure per sq inch to break a bone. Certainly not my kind of thrill seeking adventure, but hey, each to his own. 😎
ReplyDeleteSent from my iPhone
Did he not model for the Alien creature in Alien?
ReplyDeleteThat truly is beautiful purely on a level of efficiency of design and freaking scary beyond words as I love to scuba dive... lol