| Size |
3 metres (10 feet) |
| Depth |
270–1300 metres (885–4265 feet) |
| Habitat |
Deep water near coast |
| Markings |
Pale pink skin |
| Teeth |
Slender and fang-like |
| Diet |
Deep sea fish, squid |
| Special features |
Rarely seen, long snout with protruding jaw |
The goblin shark is one of nature’s ugliest animals. It has a very long, pointed snout that looks a little like the horn on the head of the mythical unicorn. Goblin sharks grow up to 3 metres (10 feet) in length. They have pale pink skin which is much softer and flabbier than the skin of most sharks, which is rough like sandpaper.
A goblin shark has sharp teeth at the front of its mouth for grabbing prey, and smaller teeth at the back of its mouth for crunching and chewing.
Like many sharks, the goblin pushes, or protrudes, its jaws forwards as it attacks. When it does this, it thrusts its jaws out so far that it looks like it has a second snout. When its jaws are not pushed forward, the goblin shark looks fairly similar to other sharks.
|
