These strange, prehistoric creatures have been swimming in the depths of the sea for about 125 million years.
The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is a bizarre animal with a long, flat snout and toothy jaws that protrude in front of the face to catch unsuspecting prey. It’s a relatively rare deep-water shark living in all major oceans. With a face only a mother could love, it was described as “grotesque” when first encountered in 1910.
The goblin shark is the only living representative of its family, Mitsukurinidae, and is the most evolutionarily distinct shark we know of; its lineage stretches back some 125 million years.