| Family: |
Mitsukurinidae (Goblin shark) |
| Max. size: |
617 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 30 - 1300 m |
| Distribution: |
Western Atlantic: Guyana (Ref. 6871), Suriname (Ref. 13608, 11228) and French Guiana. Eastern Atlantic: France (Bay of Biscay), Madeira, Portugal, and South Africa. Western Indian Ocean: off South Africa. Western Pacific: Japan, Australia (South Australia, New South Wales), New Zealand (Ref. 26346). Eastern Pacific: USA (southern California) (Ref. 43278). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. Flat, bladelike, elongated snout, tiny eyes without nictitating eyelids, soft, flabby body, slender, very long cusped teeth in long, protrusible jaws, long caudal fin without a ventral lobe (Ref. 247). Pinkish-white with bluish fins, becoming brownish grey after death (Ref. 5578, 11228). |
| Biology: |
Found on outer continental shelves and upper slopes, but rarely in shallow water close inshore (Ref. 247, 43278). Jaws are highly specialized for rapid projection from the head to snap up small animals (Ref. 247). Feeds on jacopever, pelagic octopus and crabs (Ref. 5578). Ovoviviparous, embryos feeding on yolk sac and other ova produced by the mother (Ref. 50449). Probably slow-moving and neutrally buoyant (Ref. 6871). Utilized dried salted (Ref. 247) |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 02 July 2017 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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