> Check the status of the goblin shark at the IUCN website. The Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a species of shark from the deep sea. Its mouth can protrude outward, allowing it to trap prey in front of it or reach prey slightly farther away from it. As it is rarely encountered by fishermen and no major market for them exists. The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. These sharks will prey on fish found both on the sea floor and in the water column. The goblin shark seldom comes in contact with humans; however, because of its large size, it could be potentially dangerous. -The Goblin Shark can go without food for extremely long amounts of time. -The Goblin Shark has a mouth designed to suck any smaller animals inside its mouth by projecting its jaw at prey. Family Mitsukurinidae Goblin shark. Goblin sharks are a species of fish that usually live at the bottom of the ocean along continental shelves (or a continent's edges). The Goblin Shark has been caught in scattered localities through the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Shark fossils from the Scapanorhynchus species dating back more than 100 million years bore striking resemblance to the goblin shark [source: Bright]. Mitsukurina: pictures (1) ... ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. The Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a rare, poorly-known species of deep-sea shark.Sometimes called a "living fossil", it is the only living species in the family Mitsukurinidae.The Goblin shark can be easily identified by its long, flattened snout. -The Goblin Shark can swim incredibly stealthily without shifting the flow of water, making it … They are also known to feed on crustaceans and cephalopods like squid. Unlike other sharks, it has pink, fleshy skin instead of rough, scale-like denticles. Mitsukurinidae: pictures (1) Genus Mitsukurina. These pink animals can grow 12 feet long and weigh up to 460 pounds. Sometimes called “living fossils”, the only existing representative of the family is Mitsukurinida, whose lineage is about 125 million years old. The bulk of this species’ diet consists of fish in the teleost infraclass, including dragonfish, rattails, anglerfish, and more. Goblin shark, scientific name Mitsukurina owstoni is a rare species of deep-sea sharks. Its jaws can project open quickly in order to catch prey. Conservation. The unique bladelike snout may be used as a forward-projecting prey detector. They have narrow snouts and fanglike teeth. Goblin Shark – Mitsukurina owstoni Among all sharks, this species stands out for its unusual appearance characterized by a prominent snout. Males can reach up to lengths of 12.6 feet (3.8 meters), and females can reach up to lengths of 12.2 feet (3.7 meters). Like many species with a deep-sea affinity, scientists believe goblin sharks only come near the surface at night and spend most of their lives in the dark. Like other Lamniform sharks , the Goblin shark has an anal fin, 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins, no fin spines, mouth behind the eyes, and no nictitating eyelids. In Australia it is known from off New South Wales, Tasmania and possibly from off South Australia. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. The IUCN lists this species as “Least concern”. When the goblin shark species was first discovered off the coast of Japan in 1898, it set off a case of scientific déjà vu.Researchers realized that they had seen goblin sharks before -- not swimming in the seas, but in fossil remains. 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