The Goblin Shark
A pink shark from the deep sea off Japan has a long, flat snout and a jaw that shoots out of its mouth to grab its prey.
What was reported
In 1898, a strange shark caught off Yokohama, in Sagami Bay, was brought to scientists. It was pale pink, with a long, blade-like snout and a mouth full of nail-like teeth. Japanese fishermen called it tenguzame, after the long-nosed tengu of folklore. In English it became the goblin shark.
It lives in deep water, usually below 100 metres, and is rarely seen alive. When it bites, its jaws fly forward out of its mouth at great speed, then fold back.
Explanations offered
The goblin shark is a real but little-studied animal, the last survivor of a family that dates back about 125 million years. Its pink colour comes from blood vessels seen through its thin skin. Its strange jaw is thought to help it catch fish and squid in the dark.
- When
- First described in 1898
- Where
- Sagami Bay, off Yokohama, Japan
- Witnesses
- Fishermen and scientists
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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