More About Goblin Sharks | Goblin Shark | Animal Printouts Label Me! Printouts |
The Goblin shark is a rarely-seen, bottom-dwelling, slow-swimming shark. This shark's snout is quite unusual; it is long, flat, and very pointed. It is found at depths of about 3,940 feet (1,200 m) in the western Pacific, the western Indian Ocean and the western and eastern Atlantic. Very little is known about this elusive shark. The Goblin shark is probably harmless, but has rarely been encountered.
Anatomy: The Goblin shark is a predator up to 11 feet (3.3 m) long. The Goblin has an elongated snout that may contain electrosensory canals (ampullae of Lorenzini) that help this shark find prey.
Teeth and Diet: The Goblin shark eats fish (both large and small), including other sharks and rays. They also eat squid and crustaceans (like crabs). The Goblin shark has long, sharp teeth in the front of its mouth. The upper teeth are slightly longer than the lower teeth. These sharp teeth are used for catching fish. The teeth in the back of the mouth are small and used for crushing prey, like crustaceans.
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes, Order Lamniformes, Family Mitsukurina, Genus Mitsukurina, Species owstoni.
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