One of the sharks with the strangest morphology in the world is the goblin shark, which appears in lists of rarest fishIts very name already reveals an exotic form that, as soon as you see it, commands respect with its appearanceAlthough it looks like a shark straight out of a fantasy book, it is very real. On numerous occasions, reality surpasses fiction And this is one of those cases: the goblin shark is a real shark that lives in the depths of the sea.
Do you want to know all the secrets about this peculiar shark? Here we explain it to you in detail and with expanded and updated information about their biology, habitat and behavior.
Key features
It is a shark with a singular morphology belonging to the family Mitsukurinidae. This family is extinct, except for this species, so it is often considered a “living fossil”Although its appearance may seem disturbing, it does not reach enormous sizes: It reaches up to 6 meters in length and can weigh up to 700 kgThe body is elongated and is located laterally compressed, a shape that helps it glide over the relief of the bottom and move efficiently in deep water.
Because it lives in areas with very little light, has developed remarkable adaptations. Its very elongated and flattened snout stands out, a kind of "rostrum" inside which the electroreceptor organelles (ampullae of Lorenzini) that detect the electric fields emitted by other animals. This characteristic, together with their vision and smell, allows you to locate prey without having to rely on ambient lighting.
The jaw is very long and narrow, and the mouth is located below the snout. It is capable of project forward in a striking manner when capturing prey, moving forward several centimeters. The approximate total of its teeth is around 100 and 120, distributed in different rows. Detailed dental counts indicate that in the upper jaw there are between 35 and 53 rows and in the lower one between 31 and 62 rows, with larger, more pointed teeth at the front and smaller ones at the back. Overall, we are talking about a visible dentition even with the mouth closed at some angles.
The size of these teeth varies and grows as they are replaced, occupying the available spaces in the mouth in a dynamic way. Although the arrangement may seem misaligned, the denture is very effective for embed and fasten slippery prey in the pelagic and demersal environment.
Fins and color
The dorsal and pectoral fins are relatively small. and are usually more visible than the pelvic and anal ones, which are comparatively larger. The dorsal ones have rounded contours, in keeping with a slow swim mode and a less powerful musculature than that of other, faster sharks. This design explains part of their predatory strategy based on stealthy approaches and explosive jaw attacks.
As for coloration, her skin is pale with tones ranging from pinkish white to reddish brownThe characteristic pink appearance is due to the fact that it has a thin, translucent skin by which the blood vessels can be seen, not because it is covered with blood. When removed from the water, the color can quickly become brownish. His eyes are small, a trait consistent with life in environments with very little light.
Food and habitat
Like the rest of the sharks, the goblin shark is carnivorous. Among their diet are squid and other cephalopods, crustaceans (crabs and ostracods, among others), as well as teleost fish from the bottom and water column. They may occasionally incorporate bivalve depending on the area and trophic availability. In general, their teeth are designed to embed and fasten the dam rather than to cut it, so often swallows whole pieces or large fragments.
They can hunt thanks to the combination of sight, smell and electroreception. Despite not being a fast swimmer, he is a effective predator: approaches slowly, minimizes the movement of its fins so as not to alert and, at the decisive moment, throws the jaw forward with great speed, catching the victim by surprise. It usually takes advantage of conditions of low lighting and confusion in the environment to carry out ambushes.
As for its habitat and distribution area, it extends over much of the oceans: Western and Eastern Atlantic, Western Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. Its presence is most documented from Australia to the shores of Japan, although specimens have also been recorded in areas such as South Africa, Tanzania, Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and even in more temperate areas of the northeast Atlantic. Its distribution is wide and is not limited to a specific geographical area, making it an unpredictable and difficult predator to study.
In depth, it occupies ranges that go from waters relatively deep (several hundred meters) to sectors abyssal above a thousand meters. Reliable records frequently place it from 200-300 m and abundantly in the surroundings of the 1.300-1.400 m, although it can make vertical movements to take advantage of trophic windows or thermal. In some places it has been observed that juveniles They use shallower waters than adults.
Reproduction and behavior of the goblin shark
This shark is an enigmatic species, with movements broad and unpredictable that are not confined to a specific region. Their reproduction is less well known due to their deep life, but it is known that is ovoviviparous: Embryos develop in eggs that remain in the female belly until birth. Like other sharks with this strategy, it produces few offspring, but of relatively large size, which increases its initial survival.
It is capable of migrating over great distances to pair, and mature females have been found at certain times of the year, suggesting seasonal reproductive peaks in some regions. Although data are scarce, it is considered that the fertilization is internal and that, after gestation, the newborns are ready to feed themselves thanks to their functional jaws from birth.
As for his behavior, it is slow and generally calm, with a strategy based on the stealth hunting. He frequently intensifies his activity in low light hours, such as before dawn and at night, when it makes vertical movements and explores more productive layers of water. For humans, it is not dangerous Despite their appearance and no confirmed attacks are documented; however, a bite could cause damage due to its pointed teeth.
Protractile jaw and teeth: how it captures its prey
The main anatomical signature of the goblin shark is its protractile jawThis mechanism works like a biological spring: after a slow approach, the shark open slightly and, suddenly, projects both jaws outward, increasing the bite range and closing speed. The muzzle acts as a sensor which guides the final shot towards the source of the detected electric field, be it a fish, a cephalopod or a crustacean.
His front teeth, thin and curved, are designed for impale and retain prey, while the smaller, blunt hindquarters aid in the gripThis dental architecture explains why, unlike sharks with sharp teeth, the goblin is more prone to swallow whole soft-bodied prey, such as squid, and firmly grasp delicate-scaled fish without immediately dismembering them.
Distribution, depth and movements
The goblin shark has been recorded in numerous continental margins and island areas of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is characteristic of continental slopes, seamounts and deep-sea platforms, where the availability of pelagic and demersal prey allows for a varied diet. In several regions, it has been observed that the juveniles appear most frequently in shallower depths than adults, suggesting ontogenetic uses of the habitat.
In addition, it is a species that can perform daily vertical movements, approaching the surface somewhat during the night in search of food and returning to deeper layers during the day. This vertical plasticity, added to its wide distribution, contributes to the fact that it is a rarely seen animal since much of the available information comes from bycatch in deep-sea trawl fisheries.
Conservation status and threats
Although rarely targeted by directed fisheries, the goblin shark appears in many ways. accidental in trawl nets and drift. Most of the specimens caught incidentally are usually juveniles, which has led to the inference that adults spend more time out of depth range in which many fleets operate. On a global scale, it has been classified as a kind of minor concern due to its apparent low immediate vulnerability; however, this assessment coexists with the uncertainty derived from the scarcity of data, which is why monitoring and managing deep-sea fishing is key.
Another source of pressure is the collectors' interest due to its jaws, which can encourage unwanted captures. In any case, since it is a species of deep life and uncommon on the surface, interaction with humans is minimal and most records come from scientific campaigns and bycatch.
Curiosities and little-known facts
– It's a species very difficult to keep in captivity, and the few specimens that have arrived alive at facilities have only survived for a short time; their physiology is adapted to high pressures and low temperatures.
– Your body has a consistency flabby compared to other pelagic sharks; this is associated with a lifestyle of low energy expenditure and ambush.
– Goblin sharks sometimes approach layers of water with greater nighttime productivity, taking advantage of vertical migrations of zooplankton and mesopelagic fish that rise in the dark.
- Their visible anterior teeth Even with their mouths closed, they have fueled an intimidating popular iconography, although in practice it is a shark not aggressive with the people.
The goblin shark emerges as a deep-sea specialist: a shark of unique anatomya sensory snout which allows it to detect prey in the dark and a protractile jaw perfect for ambushing. Its wide distribution, discreet habits and life in deep water explain why it is so rarely seen. As deep-sea observation technologies advance, it is hoped that more will be revealed about its reproduction, movements and ecology, without losing sight of the need to properly manage deep-sea fishing to maintain a healthy population.