Goblin shark caught on video

[n2doc]

Goblin shark caught on video
Japan seems to have a knack for turning up weird deep-sea sharks. Last year, we wrote about a frilled shark that had wandered into shallow Japanese waters, offering us astonishing footage. Someone just sent me this video, which was also filmed in Japan last year.

The creature featured is a Mitsukurina owstoni, or goblin shark, which lives between 100 metres and 1000 metres beneath the waves. It gets its common name from the Japanese, who nicknamed it after their long-nosed supernatural creatures, the tengu.

The coolest thing about it is its Alien-like retractable jaw, which seems to leap out of its mouth to catch its prey - mostly teleost fish and squid, according to one of the few studies of the species published in Ichthyological Research in 2007.

Goblin sharks aren't only found in Japan - they've been seen in New Zealand, the North Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, Surinam, France, Portugal and more. Sightings are rare, sometimes the consequence of a shark getting caught in a gillnet, but the World Conservation Union does not deem them in danger of extinction.

video at link:

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/environment/2008/08/goblin-shark-caught-on-video.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=specrt13_head_Alien%20shark

[ColbertWatcher]

1. HOLY CRAP! THAT JAW! n/t

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[flakey_foont]

3. amazing!

Thanks for the link

[MuseRider]

4. Too cool!

Wonderful footage. I have seen drawings of them, knew they existed but never seen an actual picture. This video is very cool. Thanks.

#5

[progressoid]

5. Whoa! That retractable jaw was pretty cool.

[Kire]

6. this world is still full of mysteries

thank you for posting this

who knows if that type of animal will be around in 50 years?

[Canuckistanian]

7. Wow, an esophageal jaw

I hear they just discovered that Moray eels have a complete second set of esophageal jaws.

[ZombieHorde]

8. That is so awesome!!! K&R

Congratulations, you have found the hidden text!

[sakabatou]

9. That's one ugly mf'er