Goblin Shark Facts

You won’t find too many goblin shark facts that are not only interesting but are surely useful as are here. The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a shark that is commonly found in deep sea waters. These sharks belong to the family of Mitsukurinidae, and the order of Lamniformes. With its unmistakable appearance, these sharks can be easily recognized. The color of goblin shark is normally pink.

They are known to reside at a depth of 200 meters where sun’s light can seldom reach. They have a cosmopolitan distribution around the globe, and most of them inhabit across the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They were first emerged in the waters of Japan. The goblin sharks prey on several organisms that are available in deep sea water.

Some of the most common goblin shark’s prey includes deep-sea fish, crabs, and squid. Scientists have not yet discovered too much about the life history and reproduction of goblin sharks and as a result, there appears to be no real threat to their population. They are least concern species by IUCN.

The length of male goblin sharks measure around 2.4 – 3.1 meters (7.9 – 10 feet) while females are 3.1 – 3.5 meters (10 – 11 feet) long.
The largest goblin shark specimen ever recorded was at 3.9 meters 13 feet), with the weight measuring at 20 kg (460 lb). However, there are some other unverified specimens that were thought to be 6.2 meters (20 feet) long.
About one-fourth of the goblin shark’s body comprises of liver.
Because they swim in deep sea waters where there is no light, goblin sharks tend to prey by employing their electro-sensitive organs in the rostrum. They are also known to prey on crustaceans and cephalopods in this much depth.
Some of these species were found in New South Wales, Tasmania and waters off eastern Australia back in 1985. It follows that one specimen of these sharks were caught in Tasmania in 2004 which measured 4 meters by length.
They have unorthodox rostrum that bears electro-sensitive organs to locate their prey in dark as there is no light at a depth of about 250 meters.

Where Do Goblin Sharks Live

These shark species are normally found in deep-sea waters where the sun’s light can hardly ever reach. They are one of the deep sea sharks and are found at a depth of about 250 meters with the maximum depth ever recorded was at 1,300 meters. Scientists have discovered 45 specimens of Mitsukurina owstoni. The majority of these sharks were caught in Japan, particularly in Boso Peninsula and Tosa Bay. They also inhabit all along Pacific and in the shallow waters of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The goblin sharks exist in several sites of Atlantic Ocean such as Bay of Biscay, Continental Portugal, and French Guiana, together with the other side in the Gulf of Mexico.