The Goblin Shark Patrols the Ocean Floor
These elusive deep-sea creatures aren’t seen very often
The first time I laid eyes on a picture of a Goblin shark, I thought it looked like a pinata from an underwater horror movie. It just didn’t look real. It does exist as pictured.
Goblin sharks live in deep water around Japan, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific from California to Australia. That should narrow it down for you in case you want to go goblin hunting.
No one knows how many Goblin Sharks exist since they are not spotted all that often. Marine biologists don’t know how many of these creatures exist. Because of that, they do not appear on a protected species list. Goblin sharks have been spotted only about 50 times since being discovered in the late 1890s.
Oceans teem with a wonderful variety of odd-looking fish species and the Goblin is no exception. Goblin Sharks live close to the ocean floor at depths of 1000 meters or more. They grow to be 12 feet long. The Goblin Shark has a long, flattened snout with flabby skin. Their fins take on a blue, grey, and pink hue. The shark’s transparent skin and blood vessels give the shark a bizarre pink color when out of the water.
While looking for photos, I noticed while underwater, they appear to be brown or grey. Their big eyes capture you, and the long snout made me think of a cartoon character. Sharks move gracefully, they always look like they are in control, and their sleek shape makes their movements ominous. Goblins, on the other hand, don’t appear to be all that graceful while moving.
Goblin sharks cannot fit all of their teeth in their mouths
Goblin sharks are known to have the fastest lower jaws of all sharks. Let’s call it their redeeming quality. The lower jaw unhinges and juts out in a flash when feeding. Marine biologists call this slingshot feeding. This shark most likely finds food by detecting the electrical field given off by its prey. Their diet consists of crustaceans, squid, and a variety of bony fish.
Whether you can’t get enough of the Goblin shark because of their Halloween costume-like looks, or you’re waiting for one to debut in a Shark Week movie, the Goblin Shark captures you.
Let’s just hope it’s not by the leg.
I invite you to read more.
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Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer & journalist based on the west coast. He writes about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, lifestyle, and workplace issues!
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