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Australia: Rare Goblin Shark Found |
| August 13, 2004 |
 | Goblin sharks use the unique fleshy snout over their mouth to sense food in deeper waters that are not lit by surface light.
Photo: Robert Whiteley |
A rare deep-ocean shark was caught on Friday by blue grenadier fishers off Tasmania’s west coast. The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) measured four metres in length and weighed 200 kilograms, making it the largest specimen ever collected in Australian waters.
The female shark is the first recorded landing of its species in Tasmanian waters, and only the fifth to be recorded in Australia. A soft-fleshed species of shark, goblin sharks have a unique fleshy snout over their mouth that they use to sense food in deeper waters that are not lit by surface light.
A unique species in a family of its own, goblin sharks are normally found on the continental slope at depths of about 1,200 metres. According to Ross Daley, a marine biologist who co-authored an identification booklet Field Guide to Australian Sharks, the specimen was caught in about 500 metres of water.
“The biology of the goblin shark is very poorly known and we’ve requested fishers to contact us or museums to allow us to build our knowledge of this rare species of shark,” said Daley.
The four other recorded specimens of goblin shark have all been found in the South East Fishery, off the coast of New South Wales.
Mr Daley said the shark would be examined this week at Hobart laboratories of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). Its head and jaws will be retained in the CSIRO National Fish Collection.
Source: Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
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