Nature
Rare Goblin Shark Discovered in the Gulf of Mexico
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: May 05, 2014 12:47 PM EDT
A rare goblin shark turned up in Carl Moore's net on April 19, a shrimper who was working along the Gulf of Mexico. This marks the second only reported sighting of the 18-food-long creature in the area.
This unusual shark species, which is characterized by its elongated head and snout, was last seen in the area in 2002. The Townsend, Georgia, resident, caught the creature halfway through an 18-day fishing trip.
"I didn't even know what it was," said Moore, 63, via the Houston Chronical. "I didn't get the tape measure out because that thing's got some wicked teeth, they could do some damage."
Moore, who has been shrimping in the Atlantic and the Gulf for over 50 years, said that he's come into contact with some other weird stuff, including Bahamian angelfish, loggerback turtles and more, according to CNN. But when he came across this gem, Moore said he felt "disbelief."
Relatively little is known about the sharks, which have also been spotted in the Indian Ocean and around South Africa.
Though Moore released the rare specimen back into the wild, he made sure to catch a few pictures before letting this shark swim away.
"Anything that's alive we try to put back in the ocean," he added, via CNN.
Known as "living fossils," these sharks are recognized for their prehistoric-looking features-including 50 sharp, protruding teeth. They primarily feed off of squid and fish.
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First Posted: May 05, 2014 12:47 PM EDT
A rare goblin shark turned up in Carl Moore's net on April 19, a shrimper who was working along the Gulf of Mexico. This marks the second only reported sighting of the 18-food-long creature in the area.
This unusual shark species, which is characterized by its elongated head and snout, was last seen in the area in 2002. The Townsend, Georgia, resident, caught the creature halfway through an 18-day fishing trip.
"I didn't even know what it was," said Moore, 63, via the Houston Chronical. "I didn't get the tape measure out because that thing's got some wicked teeth, they could do some damage."
Moore, who has been shrimping in the Atlantic and the Gulf for over 50 years, said that he's come into contact with some other weird stuff, including Bahamian angelfish, loggerback turtles and more, according to CNN. But when he came across this gem, Moore said he felt "disbelief."
Relatively little is known about the sharks, which have also been spotted in the Indian Ocean and around South Africa.
Though Moore released the rare specimen back into the wild, he made sure to catch a few pictures before letting this shark swim away.
"Anything that's alive we try to put back in the ocean," he added, via CNN.
Known as "living fossils," these sharks are recognized for their prehistoric-looking features-including 50 sharp, protruding teeth. They primarily feed off of squid and fish.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone