Freakish goblin shark captured near Taiwan
A rare goblin shark with “evil fangs” has been discovered off the coast of Taiwan and will soon be displayed in a museum.
People will soon get the chance to have a glimpse of a rare and freakish-looking shark found off the coast of Taiwan.
A massive — and pregnant — goblin shark was caught by fisherman off the coast of Su’ao Township earlier this month, the Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum revealed.
Weighing in at 800kg, it’s one of the largest goblin fishes ever caught in Taiwan.
The deep-sea shark was caught accidentally and was almost sold to a restaurant.
Not much is known about the sharks, which are rarely seen and are named for their “long and scraggly” teeth and the shape of their head, Yahoo! News reports. Their teeth are visible when they close their mouths.
A translated post by the museum described the fish as having “evil fangs”.
Fishes of Australia said the species was known for having a “long flattened bladelike snout and highly protrusible jaws armed with long narrow grasping teeth”.
They are usually grey and sometimes look pinkish.
The shark in question was pregnant with six babies — or pups — and had teeth which officials suspect mean they were close to being born.
Footage posted on Facebook by the museum showed the pups laid out on a platform.
It’s thought the sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning the pups mature and hatch inside the mother before she gives birth to live young.
The fish was almost sold to a restaurant but then picked up by the Taiwan Marine Art Museum after “fighting for it”. The specimen will be displayed at the museum as a “future marine education resource”.
The deep-sea shark dwells near the ocean floor, where it ambushes its prey — and can dive down to 1200m.
It’s from the Mitsukurinidae family, which has an ancient lineage stretching back 125 million years.
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