SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA)- It is one of the rarest, and possible strangest sharks around: the Goblin shark. The Australian museum in Sydney has dissected one and put it on video.
The goblin shark, known as “alien of the deep” was found off Green Cape, Australia and delivered to the museum which Tuesday showed off its fleshy snout, nail-like teeth and flabby pink body.
Little is known about the goblin shark and the latest discover is only the fourth ever to be analysed by scientists at the museum.
What is known about these sharks is that they live deep down in the ocean depths, up to about 900 metres, and are rarely caught by humans.
Pores
Its distinctive long snout is covered in pores that can pick up electric pulses from crabs, squids and other potential prey.
The shark goblin shark, scientific name “Mitsukurina owstoni”, is known to have lived on the planet for millions of years, with fossils for the animals being discovered that dated as far back as 125 million years ago.
The specimen caught in January is believed to be a male and measured 4ft 13in in length. The shark will now be kept at the museum, with further research to be carried out in the future.
Last year another goblin shark already made the headlines when it was caught by fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico.
