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What is a fun fact about the Goblin Shark?
The Goblin Shark is sometimes called the Vampire Shark, as if it wasn’t scary-looking enough to begin with. The reason it is called a vampire is because it avoids the light by living deep in the sea. Goblin Sharks have been found at depths from 270 m to as deep as 1300 m (890 ft to 4300 ft).
Does the Goblin Shark sleep?
Well, they don’t sleep, exactly. Sharks do not experience sleep the same way humans do. Some can’t sleep at all, and the ones that do never close their eyes. Sharks that can stop swimming in order to rest use specialized apparatus known as spiracles to force oxygen-rich water through their gill system.
How long does the Goblin Shark live?
60 years
Scientists only have estimates for the lifespan of a Goblin Shark. It is believed that they can live up to 60 years.
How many teeth do goblin sharks have?
The upper jaw has 35-53 long, narrow, finely grooved lengthwise teeth, the lower 31-62. They have three rows of anterior teeth on each side of both jaws. Rear teeth are smaller and are flattened for crushing.
Do goblin sharks lay eggs?
They may be ambush predators. Goblin sharks appear to be pink due to the blood vessels visible through their translucent skin. Their reproduction is ovoviviparous, meaning that they lay eggs, but these remain inside the mother until the sharks are fully developed and then there is a live birth.
How did a goblin shark get its name?
Spotted mostly off the coast of Japan, they’re named for their likeness to mythical goblins that appear in Japanese folklore. Scientists don’t know much about the behavior of these rarely seen animals. But they believe that goblin sharks are solitary, just like many other shark species.
Is the goblin shark pink?
Goblin sharks are a species of fish that usually live at the bottom of the ocean along continental shelves (or a continent’s edges). These pink animals can grow 12 feet long and weigh up to 460 pounds. They have narrow snouts and fanglike teeth.
How did the goblin shark get its name?
Do goblin shark lay eggs?
Though they give live birth, these sharks do not connect to their young through a placenta. Instead, during the gestation period, the mother likely provides her young with unfertilized eggs that they actively eat for nourishment. After they are born, young goblin sharks are ready to be active predators.
What is the life cycle of a goblin shark?
The lifespan of the goblin sharks recorded 36 years in the wild marine habitat. But the species will not survive more than a week in the aquariums. In one of Tokyo University, it only survived for two days only.
What are the goblin shark’s predators?
Humans are one of the enemies of the goblin shark. They accidentally catch them while they are deep sea fishing and scientists do tests on them to learn more about these mysterious creatures. Also the blue shark, parasites and tape worms are all enemies.
What is the habitat of a goblin shark?
The Goblin Shark lives in an ocean biome, in deep sea areas. The preferred habitat is very deep under water, along coastlines. One of the main characteristics of this habitat is that it is extremely dark. This can be seen in the goblin shark’s adapted clear flesh.
How do goblin sharks reproduce?
Little is known about goblin shark reproduction because a pregnant female has yet to be found and studied. It likely shares the reproductive characteristics of other mackerel sharks, which are viviparous with small litter sizes and embryos that grow during gestation by eating undeveloped eggs (oophagy).