You would think a strange alien species had landed on Earth, but if you saw a Goblin Shark, you’d be wrong. When the rare fish opens its mouth, it exposes dozens of needle-shaped teeth. Mark McGrouther from the Australian Museum, the fish collection manager, said that the teeth looked like little daggers and was thrilled to have the rare specimen. The unusual specimen had been brought in by fishermen. The animal unfortunately died, but it will remain in the Museum’s collection. The unusual jaw mechanism that looks alien-like makes the rare Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina Owlstoni), so unique. When the jaws close, two giant ligaments stretch. The jaws are pushed forward when the mouth is opened. This reminds me of the Alien movie with Sigourney Weber. At the Australian Museum, Mr. McGrouther displays the Goblin Shark. Its long, flattened nose is another unusual feature. The lower half of its snout is covered with pores. According to Museum, these are openings to the “ampullae de Lorenzini”, which allows for electroreception. The Goblin Shark can grow to 3-4 metres feet in length and eats octopuses as well as shrimps, crabs, fishes, and shrimps. McGrouther stated that the one in question had a empty stomach, and we won’t know its last meal. One juvenile male was the specimen that fishermen brought in. 26 metres long (5 feet 3 inches). The shark was found in waters several hundred meters deep off Eden. Four Goblin Shark specimens are now part of the Ichthyology Collection at The Australian Museum. They were all collected from Australian waters. The two juveniles are the longest, and the others are approximately 3.6 metres in length. A Goblin Shark’s head with extended jaws. Image: Wikipedia. The Museum stated on their website that it only retains the head and other organs from larger fish. It is impossible for them to keep thumping large fish this big. Interestingly, the four specimens were caught between Sydney and Eden by males. Video: Goblin shark
