Goblin Shark

Going deep down in the ocean you see a grey flash, and a bump on your submarine. Suddenly, you see a goblin shark and it swims away.

Physical Features

Its scientific name is mitsukurina owstoni. It is also called a living fossil. The goblin shark is currently a threatened aquatic species. The shark's skin is very sharp and strong and has nail like teeth. It can grow up 10 to 13 feet long, and even longer when it matures to adulthood. The goblin shark has a very interesting head. It has a flat snout and its jaws stick out, giving it a look of a true goblin.

Habitat

The Goblin Shark lives in the upper continental slopes, and submarine canyons all over the world's oceans. It has to live at a depth of 900 feet. There are some adult Goblin Sharks that live even deeper in the ocean, up to 4300 feet. There have been more sightings of Goblin Sharks in the Atlantic Ocean than the Pacific Ocean. This is a very rare shark, so it is not seen very often.

Diet

The Goblin shark eats mainly teleost fishes, rattail fishes, and dragonfishes. Sometimes, it might also eat cephalopods and crustaceans.

The Goblin Shark is not a fast swimmer, and has an oily liver which makes it float easier. Since it floats easier, it can drift towards its prey and not be noticed since it does not have to move much. The fish that the Goblin Shark eats can either live close to the surface, or on the ocean floor.

Young

There is very little information on how the Goblin Shark reproduces. Sadly, there has not been any pregnant female Goblin Sharks discovered. The Goblin Shark is like a Mackerel Shark in many ways. Scientist think that the Goblin Shark may have their young in the same way as a Mackerel Shark. Mackerel's have small litter sizes and embryos. Scientist do know that Goblin Sharks grow up to be very slow and kind of lazy. Scientist also think that embryos may eat other embryos while growing.

Bibliography

Websites

Wikipedia Goblin Shark, en.m.wikipedia.org

Discovery Alien Shark: Goblin Shark, www.discovery.com