Horrifying and Rare "Goblin Shark" Found off the Coast of Key West
Oh good, another thing to fill our nightmares! A rare "goblin shark" was caught by Georgia fisherman Captain Carl Moore about 10 miles off the coast of Key West in April. The last recorded sighting of this species of deep-sea nightmare shark was in 2000.
According to NBC News (and the terrifying photograph) the goblins are identified by their "flat, elongated snouts that point off from the tops of their heads" and their "razor-sharp teeth." NBC continues:
Goblin sharks have been found in the Pacific, off the coasts of Japan and California, and in ocean depths of up to 5,000 feet. The latest sighting has surprised researchers.
"This is a very rare finding," John Karlson, a research biologist at NOAA, told NBC News on Saturday. "We don't know very much about these animals."
Karlson said they can range up to 10 to 13 feet, although Moore's goblin shark was around 18 feet.
Moore reported his sighting to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after returning to shore, and, from the photograph, Karlson believes it was a female shark.
Moore quickly released the shark back into the water, explaining, "When it came up, I didn't know what it was. I didn't measure him because his head was slashing around, and he had some mean-looking teeth and I didn't want to get caught up in those."
We don't blame you, Captain Moore.