View source for Goblin shark

{{Short description|Deep-sea shark}}
{{Featured article}}
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{{Speciesbox
 | fossil_range = {{fossilrange|Miocene|Holocene}}<ref>{{cite journal|year=2020|first1=Jaime A. |last1=Villafaña |first2=Giuseppe |last2=Marramà |first3=Stefanie |last3=Klug |first4=Jürgen |last4=Pollerspöck |first5=Markus |last5=Balsberger |first6=Marcelo |last6=Rivadeneira |first7=Jürgen |last7=Kriwet |title=Sharks, rays and skates (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Marine Molasse (middle Burdigalian, early Miocene) of the Simssee area (Bavaria, Germany), with comments on palaeogeographic and ecological patterns|doi-access=free|journal=Paläontologische Zeitschrift|volume=94|issue=4|pages=725–757|doi=10.1007/s12542-020-00518-7|pmc=7648011|pmid=33184517|bibcode=2020PalZ...94..725V |s2cid=219175881}}</ref>
 | image = Mistukurina owstoni museum victoria.jpg
 | image2 = Goblin shark size.svg
 | image2_alt = Diagram showing a goblin and scuba diver from the side: the shark is not quite twice as long as the human
 | status = LC
 | status_system = IUCN3.1
 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Finucci, B. |author2=Duffy, C.A.J. |author2-link=Clinton A. J. Duffy |date=2018 |title=''Mitsukurina owstoni'' |volume=2018 |article-number=e.T44565A2994832 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T44565A2994832.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
 | genus = Mitsukurina
 | species = owstoni
 | authority = [[David Starr Jordan|D. S. Jordan]], 1898
 | range_map = Mitsukurina owstoni distmap.png
 | range_map_caption = Range of the goblin shark<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
 | synonyms = 
*''Odontaspis nasutus'' {{small|Bragança, 1904}}
*''Scapanorhynchus dofleini'' {{small|Engelhardt, 1912}}
*''Scapanorhynchus jordani'' {{small|Hussakof, 1909}}
*''Scapanorhynchus mitsukurii'' {{small|[[Edith Grace White|White]], 1937}}
}}
The '''goblin shark''' ('''''Mitsukurina owstoni''''') is a rare [[species]] of deep-sea [[shark]]. Sometimes called a "[[living fossil]]", it is the only [[Extant taxon|extant]] representative of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Mitsukurinidae]], a lineage some 125 million years old. This pink-skinned animal has a distinctive profile with an elongated, flat snout, and highly [[Jaw protrusion|protrusible jaws]] containing prominent nail-like teeth. It typically reaches a length of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) when fully grown, although it can grow significantly larger—such as one specimen captured in 2000, which was believed to measure around 6 meters (20 feet).<ref name=":0" /> Goblin sharks are [[Demersal fish#Benthopelagic fish|benthopelagic]] creatures that inhabit upper [[continental slope]]s, [[submarine canyon]]s, and [[seamount]]s throughout the world at depths greater than {{convert|100|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}, with adults found deeper than juveniles. Some researchers believed that these sharks could also dive to depths of up to {{convert|1300|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}, for short periods;<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Parsons|first1=Glenn R.|last2=Ingram|first2=G. Walter|last3=Havard|first3=Ralph|date=2002|title=First Record of the Goblin Shark Mitsukurina owstoni, Jordan (Family Mitsukurinidae) in the Gulf of Mexico|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3877998|journal=Southeastern Naturalist|volume=1|issue=2|pages=189–192|doi=10.1656/1528-7092(2002)001[0189:FROTGS]2.0.CO;2|jstor=3877998|s2cid=86600875 |issn=1528-7092|url-access=subscription}}</ref> footage captured in 2024 suggests that their range could be deeper than previously thought, with a confirmed sighting of an adult swimming at {{convert|2000|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}.<ref name="MinderooUWA"/>

Various anatomical features of the goblin shark, such as its flabby body and small fins, suggest that it is sluggish in nature. This species hunts for [[teleost]] fishes, [[cephalopod]]s, and [[crustacean]]s near the [[sea floor]] and in the middle of the [[water column]]. Its long snout is covered with [[ampullae of Lorenzini]] that sense minute [[electric field]]s produced by nearby prey, which it can snatch up by rapidly extending its jaws. Small numbers of goblin sharks are [[bycatch|unintentionally caught]] by deepwater [[fisheries]]. The [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) has assessed it as [[Least Concern]], despite its rarity, citing its wide distribution and low incidence of capture.

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Mitsu.JPG|thumb|left|Differing jaw positions in preserved goblin sharks caused several specimens to be described erroneously as distinct species.]]
American [[ichthyologist]] [[David Starr Jordan]] described the goblin shark in an 1898 issue of ''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences'', recognizing the peculiar fish not only as a new species, but also a new [[genus]] and family. He based his account on an immature male {{convert|107|cm|in|abbr=on}} caught in [[Sagami Bay]] near [[Yokohama]], Japan. The specimen had been acquired by [[shipmaster]] and [[naturalist]] [[Alan Owston]], who had given it to Professor [[Kakichi Mitsukuri]] at the [[University of Tokyo]], who in turn brought it to Jordan. Jordan named the shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' in honor of these two men.<ref name="jordan"/>

The [[common name]] "goblin shark" is a [[calque]] of its traditional Japanese name {{wikt-lang|ja|天狗鮫}}, {{transliteration|ja|tenguzame}}, a [[tengu|{{transliteration|ja|tengu}}]] being a Japanese mythical creature often depicted with a long nose and red face.<ref name="castro"/> Another name for this species is elfin shark.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

Soon after Jordan's description was published, several scientists noted the similarity between ''Mitsukurina'' and the extinct [[Mesozoic]] shark ''[[Scapanorhynchus]]''.<ref name="hussakof"/> For a time, the prevailing opinion was to treat ''Mitsukurina'' as a [[junior synonym]] of ''Scapanorhynchus''. Eventually, more complete [[fossil]]s revealed many anatomical differences between ''Scapanorhynchus'' and ''Mitsukurina'', causing modern authors to again regard them as distinct genera.<ref name="compagno"/> Several goblin shark specimens were described as separate species from 1904 to 1937, none of which are now considered valid. This [[taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] confusion began because the specimens' jaws were fixed at varying degrees of protrusion during preservation, giving the appearance of proportional differences among the heads.<ref name="martin"/>

==Phylogeny and evolution==
[[Phylogenetic]] studies based on [[morphology (biology)|morphology]] have classified the goblin shark as the most [[basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] member of the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Lamniformes]], known as mackerel sharks.<ref name="shirai"/><ref name="shimada"/> Studies using [[molecular phylogenetics|genetic data]] have also confirmed a basal classification for this species.<ref name="naylor et al 1997"/><ref name="naylor et al 2012"/> The family Mitsukurinidae, represented by ''Mitsukurina'', ''Scapanorhynchus'', and ''[[Anomotodon]]'', dates back to the [[Aptian]] age of the [[Cretaceous]] period (''c.'' 125–113 [[Ma (unit)|Ma]]). ''Mitsukurina'' itself first appears in the [[fossil record]] during the period [[Middle Eocene]] (''c.'' 49–37 Ma);<ref name="sepkoski"/><ref name="nelson" /> extinct species include ''M. lineata'' and ''M. maslinensis''.<ref name="vialle et al"/><ref name="pledge"/> ''Striatolamia macrota'', which lived in warm shallow waters during the [[Paleogene]] period (''c.'' 66–23 Ma), may also be a ''Mitsukurina'' species.<ref name="purdy"/> As the last member of an ancient lineage, and one that retains several "[[primitive (phylogenetics)|primitive]]" traits, the goblin shark has been described as a "[[living fossil]]".<ref name="birx"/>

==Description==
[[File:Mistukurina owstoni museum victoria - head detail.jpg|thumb|left|The goblin shark's jaws extend dramatically when feeding.]]
The goblin shark has a distinctively long and flat snout, resembling a blade. The proportional length<!--proportional to what?--> of the snout decreases with age.<ref name="parsons et al"/> The eyes are small and lack protective [[nictitating membrane]]s; behind the eyes are [[Spiracle (vertebrates)|spiracle]]s. The large mouth is [[parabola|parabolic]] in shape. The jaws are very protrusible and can be extended almost to the end of the snout, though normally held flush against the underside of the head. It has 35–53 upper and 31–62 lower tooth rows. The teeth in the main part of the jaws are long and narrow, particularly those near the symphysis (jaw midpoint), and are finely grooved lengthwise. The rear teeth near the corners of the jaw are small and have a flattened shape for crushing. Much individual variation of tooth length and width occurs, as for whether the teeth have a smaller cusplet on each side of the main [[cusp (dentistry)|cusp]], and regarding the presence of toothless gaps at the symphysis or between the main and rear teeth. The five pairs of [[gill slit]]s are short, with the [[gill filament]]s inside partly exposed; the fifth pair is above the origin of the [[pectoral fin]]s.<ref name="castro"/><ref name="compagno"/><ref name="last and stevens"/>

The body is fairly slender and flabby. The two [[dorsal fin]]s are similar in size and shape – both being small and rounded. The pectoral fins are also rather small and rounded. The [[pelvic fin|pelvic]] and [[anal fin]]s have long bases and are larger than the dorsal fins, while [[caudal peduncle]] is flattened from side-to-side and lacks keels or notches. The asymmetric [[caudal fin]] has a long upper lobe with a shallow ventral notch near the tip, and an indistinct lower lobe.<ref name="compagno"/><ref name="last and stevens"/> The soft, semi-translucent skin has a rough texture from a covering of [[dermal denticle]]s, each shaped like a short upright spine with lengthwise ridges. Living sharks of this species are pink or tan due to visible [[blood vessel]]s beneath the skin; the color deepens with age, and young sharks may be almost white. The fins' margins are translucent gray or blue, and the eyes are black with bluish streaks in the [[iris (anatomy)|irises]]. After death, the coloration fades quickly to dull gray or brown.<ref name="castro"/><ref name="martin"/> Adult sharks usually measure between {{convert|3|and|4|m|ft|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="castro"/> However, the capture of an enormous female estimated at {{convert|5.4|-|6.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} long during 2000 showed this species can grow far larger than suspected previously.<ref name="parsons et al"/> A 2019 study suggested that it would have reached {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}} in maximum length.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pimiento|first1=C.|last2=Cantalapiedra|first2=J.L.|last3=Shimada|first3=K.|last4=Field|first4=D.J.|last5=Smaers|first5=J.B.|year=2019|title=Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays|journal=Evolution|volume=73|issue=3|pages=588–599|doi=10.1111/evo.13680|pmid=30675721|s2cid=59224442|issn=1558-5646|url=https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48696/Download/0048696-05022019162842.pdf }}</ref> Until 2022, the maximum weight recorded was {{convert|210|kg|lb|abbr=on}} for a shark of {{convert|3.8|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} in length,<ref name="compagno"/> but the following year, a heavily pregnant, {{convert|4.7|m|ft|adj=on}} individual weighing {{cvt|800|kg|lb}}, was landed in [[Taiwan]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Everington |first1=Keoni |title=Record 800 kg goblin shark with 6 pups caught off northeast Taiwan |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4918463 |website=taiwannews.com.tw/ |date=14 June 2023 |publisher=Taiwan News |access-date=17 June 2023 |archive-date=27 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627112920/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4918463 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
The goblin shark has been caught in all three major oceans, indicating a wide global distribution. In the Atlantic Ocean, it has been recorded from the northern [[Gulf of Mexico]], Suriname, French Guiana, and southern Brazil in the west, and France, Portugal, [[Madeira]], and Senegal in the east.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="castro"/><ref name="rincon et al"/> It has also been collected from [[seamount]]s along the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]].<ref name="kukuyev"/><ref name="prokofiev and kukuev"/> In the [[Indo-Pacific]] and [[Oceania]], it has been found off of the coasts of South Africa, Mozambique, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. This species has been recorded from off [[East Cape]] to [[Kaikōura Canyon]] and from the [[Challenger Plateau]] near New Zealand.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The fishes of New Zealand|last1=Roberts|first1=Clive|last2=Stewart|first2=A. L.|last3=Struthers|first3=Carl D.|last4=Barker|first4=Jeremy|last5=Kortet|first5=Salme|last6=Freeborn|first6=Michelle|publisher=Te Papa Press|year=2015|isbn=978-0-9941041-6-8|volume=2|location=Wellington, New Zealand|page=61|oclc=908128805}}</ref> A single eastern Pacific specimen is known, collected off southern [[California]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="castro"/> 

This species is most often found over the upper [[continental slope]] at depths of {{convert|270|–|960|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="compagno"/> It has been caught as deep as {{convert|1300|m|ft|abbr=on}}, a tooth has been found lodged in an undersea cable at a depth of {{convert|1370|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="martin2"/> It has been sighted as deep as {{convert|2,000|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="MinderooUWA"/> Adults inhabit greater depths than juveniles. Immature goblin sharks frequent the [[submarine canyon]]s off southern Japan at depths of {{convert|100|–|350|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with individuals occasionally wandering into [[inshore]] waters as shallow as {{convert|40|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="ebert"/>

==Biology and ecology==
Although observations of living goblin sharks are scant, its anatomy suggests an inactive and sluggish lifestyle.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yano|first1=Kazunari|last2=Miya|first2=Masaki|last3=Aizawa|first3=Masahiro|last4=Noichi|first4=Tetsuhisa|date=2007-11-01|title=Some aspects of the biology of the goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni, collected from the Tokyo Submarine Canyon and adjacent waters, Japan|journal=Ichthyological Research|language=en|volume=54|issue=4|pages=388–398|doi=10.1007/s10228-007-0414-2|bibcode=2007IchtR..54..388Y |s2cid=31917098 |issn=1616-3915}}</ref> Its skeleton is reduced and poorly [[calcification|calcified]], the muscle blocks along its sides ([[myomere]]s) are weakly developed, and its fins are soft and small. Its long caudal fin, held at a low angle, is also typical of a slow-swimming shark. The long snout appears to have a sensory function, as it bears numerous [[ampullae of Lorenzini]] that [[electroreception|detect]] weak [[electric field]]s produced by other animals. Due to the snout's softness, it is unlikely to be used for stirring up prey from the bottom as has been proposed.<ref name="martin"/> Vision seems to be less important than other senses, considering the relatively small [[optic tectum]] in the shark's brain.<ref name="castro"/> Yet unlike most deep-sea sharks, it can change the size of its [[pupil]]s, thus probably does use sight in some situations.<ref name="martin2"/> Goblin sharks may be the prey of [[blue shark]]s (''Prionace glauca'').<ref name="ebert"/> [[Parasite]]s documented from this species include the [[copepod]] ''Echthrogaleus mitsukurinae'',<ref name="izawa"/> and the [[tapeworm]]s ''[[Litobothrium amsichensis]]'' and ''[[Marsupiobothrium gobelinus]]''.<ref name="caira and runkle"/>

===Feeding===
[[File:CoryphaenoidesLeptolepis.jpg|thumb|Rattails and other deep-living teleosts are the main food of the goblin shark.]]
The goblin shark feeds mainly on deep-sea [[teleost]] fishes such as [[rattail]]s and [[Stomiidae|dragonfishes]]. It also eats [[cephalopod]]s and [[crustacean]]s, including [[Decapoda|decapods]] and [[isopod]]s. Garbage has been recorded from the stomachs of some specimens.<ref name="yano et al"/> Its known prey includes bottom-dwelling species such as the [[blackbelly rosefish]] (''Helicolenus dactylopterus''), and midwater species such as the [[squid]] ''[[Teuthowenia pellucida]]'' and the [[ostracod]] ''Macrocypridina castanea rotunda''. Thus, the goblin shark appears to forage for food both near the sea floor and far above it.<ref name="martin"/><ref name="duffy"/>

Since it is not a fast swimmer, the goblin shark may be an [[ambush predator]]. Its low-density flesh and large [[shark liver oil|oily]] [[liver]] make it [[neutral buoyancy|neutrally buoyant]], allowing it to drift towards its prey with minimal motions so as to avoid detection.<ref name="ebert"/> Once prey comes into range, the shark's specialized jaws can snap forward to capture it. The protrusion of the jaw is assisted by two pairs of elastic [[ligament]]s associated with the [[mandible|mandibular]] joint, which are pulled taut when the jaws are in their normal retracted position. Upon biting, the ligaments release their tension and "catapult" the jaws forward.<ref name="compagno"/> At the same time, the well-developed basihyal (analogous to a tongue) on the floor of the mouth drops, expanding the oral cavity and sucking in water and prey.<ref name="martin"/> Striking and prey capture events were recorded for the first time in 2008 and 2011 and helped to confirm the use and systematics of the protrusible jaws. Goblin sharks use [[Aquatic feeding mechanisms#Ram feeding|ram feeding]], a type of prey capture typical of many mackerel sharks.<ref name="nakaya et al"/> The video evidence suggests that what makes the goblin shark unique is the kinematics of their jaw when feeding. The lower jaw seems to undergo more complex movements and is important in capturing the prey. The measured protrusions of the upper and lower jaw combined put the goblin shark jaws at 2.1–9.5 times more protrusible than other sharks. The lower jaw has a velocity about two times greater than the upper jaw because it not only protrudes forward, but also swings upward to capture the prey, and the maximum velocity of the jaws is {{convert|3.14|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}. The goblin shark has a re-opening and re-closing pattern during the strike, a behavior never observed in other sharks, and which could be related to the extent with which the goblin shark protrudes its jaws.<ref name="nakaya et al"/>

===Growth and reproduction===
The reproductive behaviors of the goblin shark are poorly understood and mating has never been observed. Fishermen in Taiwan captured a pregnant female carrying six pups in 2023.<ref name=":1" /> It likely shares the reproductive characteristics of other mackerel sharks, which are [[viviparous]] with small litter sizes and [[embryo]]s that grow during [[gestation]] by eating undeveloped [[ovum|eggs]] ([[oophagy]]).<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> The birth size is probably close to {{convert|82|cm|in|abbr=on}}, the length of the smallest known specimen.<ref name="castro"/> Males [[mature sexually]] at about {{convert|2.6|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, while female maturation size is unknown.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> No data is available concerning growth and aging.<ref name="castro"/> Some researchers have estimated, based on their own research and prior findings, that male goblin sharks mature at approximately 16 years old and can live up to 60 years.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Caltabellotta|first1=Fabio P.|last2=Siders|first2=Zachary A.|last3=Cailliet|first3=Gregor M.|last4=Motta|first4=Fabio S.|last5=Gadig|first5=Otto B. F.|date=2020-08-20|title=Preliminary age and growth of the deep-water goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Jordan, 1898)|url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF19370|journal=Marine and Freshwater Research|volume=72|issue=3|page=432|language=en|doi=10.1071/MF19370|s2cid=225214059 |issn=1448-6059|hdl=11449/197200|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==Human interactions==
As a [[Deep sea|deep-sea]] species, the goblin shark poses no danger to humans. After [[David Starr Jordan]] described the shark in 1898, more findings were published in 1910. "The new shark is certainly grotesque, [...] the most remarkable feature is the curiously elongated nose."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hussakof|first=L.|title=The Newly Discovered Goblin Shark of Japan|date=1910|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26037101|journal=Scientific American|volume=102|issue=9|pages=186–187|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican02261910-186|jstor=26037101|bibcode=1910SciAm.102..186H|issn=0036-8733}}</ref> A few specimens have been collected alive and brought to [[public aquarium]]s, though they only survived briefly. One kept at [[Tokai University]] lived for a week, while another at Tokyo Sea Life Park lived for two days.<ref name="compagno"/><ref name="tzn"/> Its economic significance is minimal; the meat may be dried and salted, while the jaws fetch high prices from collectors.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="compagno"/> At one time, the Japanese used it for liver oil and [[fertilizer]].<ref name="bean"/> This shark is not targeted by any [[fisheries]], but is occasionally found as [[bycatch]] in bottom [[gillnet]]s and [[trawl]]s, hooked on [[longline fishing|longlines]], or entangled in fishing gear. Most captures are isolated incidents; one of the few areas where it is caught regularly is off southern Japan, where around 30 individuals (mostly juveniles) are taken each year. A [[black scabbardfish]] (''Aphanopus carbo'') fishery off [[Madeira]] also takes two or three goblin sharks annually. During April 2003, more than a hundred goblin sharks were caught off northwestern Taiwan; the cause of the event was unknown, though observers noted it was preceded by a major [[earthquake]]. The species had never been recorded in the area before, nor found in such numbers since.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name="castro"/> 

The [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN) categorized the goblin shark as [[Least Concern]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> In addition to its wide range, most of its population is thought to reside in unfished environments because few adults are caught. Therefore, it is not believed to be threatened by human activity.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> However, during June 2018 the New Zealand [[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation]] classified the goblin shark as "At Risk – Naturally Uncommon" with the qualifiers "Data Poor" and "Secure Overseas" using the [[New Zealand Threat Classification System]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs23entire.pdf|title=Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016|last1=Duffy|first1=Clinton A. J.|author1-link=Clinton A. J. Duffy|last2=Francis|first2=Malcolm|last3=Dunn|first3=M. R.|last4=Finucci|first4=Brit|last5=Ford|first5=Richard|last6=Hitchmough|first6=Rod|last7=Rolfe|first7=Jeremy|publisher=Department of Conservation|year=2018|isbn=978-1-988514-62-8|location=Wellington, New Zealand|page=10|oclc=1042901090|archive-date=2019-01-28|access-date=2019-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128120736/https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs23entire.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="bean">{{cite journal |author=Bean, B.A. |year=1905 |title=Notes on an adult goblin shark (''Mitsukurina owstoni'') of Japan |journal=Proceedings of the United States National Museum |volume=28 |issue=1409 |pages=815–818 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15393491#page/909/mode/1up |doi=10.5479/si.00963801.28-1409.815 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |access-date=2018-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116183751/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15393491#page/909/mode/1up |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="birx">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, & Culture (Volume 1) |editor=Birx, H.J. |publisher=SAGE Publications |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4129-4164-8 |page=547}}</ref>

<ref name="caira and runkle">{{cite journal |title=2 new tapeworms from the goblin shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' off Australia |author1=Caira, J.N. |author2=Runkle, L.S. |journal=Systematic Parasitology |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=81–90 |year=1993 |doi=10.1007/BF00009215|s2cid=44048407 }}</ref>

<ref name="MinderooUWA">{{cite web |author1-link=Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre |title=A glimpse of the Goblin Shark - 𝘔𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘰𝘸𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiq0kDQXb9I |website=youtube.com |publisher=Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre|language=en |format=video |date=November 12, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="castro">{{cite book |author=Castro, J.H. |title=The Sharks of North America |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-19-539294-4 |pages=202–205}}</ref>

<ref name="compagno">{{cite book |author=Compagno, L.J.V. |year=2002 |title=Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date (Volume 2) |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |pages=68–71 |isbn=92-5-104543-7}}</ref>

<ref name="duffy">{{cite journal |title=Further records of the goblin shark, ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' (Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae), from New Zealand |author=Duffy, C.A.J. |author-link=Clinton A. J. Duffy |journal=New Zealand Journal of Zoology |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=167–171 |year=1997 |doi=10.1080/03014223.1997.9518111|doi-access=free }}</ref>

<ref name="ebert">{{cite book |author=Ebert, D.A. |title=Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of California |publisher=University of California Press |year=2003 |isbn=0-520-22265-2 |pages=96–97}}</ref>

<ref name="hussakof">{{cite journal |author=Hussakof, L. |year=1909 |title=A new goblin shark, ''Scapanorhynchus jordani'', from Japan |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=26 |pages=257–262|hdl=2246/1929 }}</ref>

<ref name="izawa">{{cite journal |title=''Echthrogaleus mitsukurinae'' sp. nov (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Pandaridae) infesting the goblin shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' Jordan, 1898 in Japanese waters |author=Izawa, K. |journal=Crustaceana |volume=85 |issue=1 |pages=81–87 |doi=10.1163/156854012x623674 |year=2012|bibcode=2012Crust..85...81. }}</ref>

<ref name="jordan">{{cite journal |author=Jordan, D.S. |year=1898 |title=Description of a species of fish (''Mitsukurina owstoni'') from Japan, the type of a distinct family of lamnoid sharks |journal=Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Zoology |series=Series 3 |volume=1 |issue=6 |pages=199–204 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38967781 |archive-date=2019-10-28 |access-date=2018-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028102936/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/38967781 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="kukuyev">{{cite book |author=Kukuyev, E.I. |year=1982 |chapter=Ichthyofauna of Corner Mountains and New England Seamounts |title=Insufficiently Studied Fishes of the Open Ocean. Moscow: Institute of Oceanology |editor=Parin, N.V. |pages=92–109 |publisher=Institute of Oceanology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR}}</ref>

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<ref name="parsons et al">{{cite journal |title=First record of the goblin shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'', Jordan (family Mitsukurinidae) in the Gulf of Mexico |author1=Parsons, G.R. |author2=Ingram, G.W. |author3=Havard, R. |journal=Southeastern Naturalist |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=189–192 |doi=10.1656/1528-7092(2002)001[0189:FROTGS]2.0.CO;2 |year=2002|s2cid=86600875 }}</ref>

<ref name="pledge">{{cite journal |author=Pledge, N.S. |year=1967 |title=Fossil Elasmobranch teeth of South Australia and their stratigraphic distribution |journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia |volume=91 |pages=135–160 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41031699 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |access-date=2018-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116183749/http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41031699 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="prokofiev and kukuev">{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Ichthyology |year=2009 |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=215–227 |title=New findings of rare fish species from families Mitsukurinidae (Chondrichthyes), Muraenidae, Lophiidae, Macrouridae, and Psychrolutidae (Teleostei) on rises of the Atlantic Ocean with the description of ''Gymnothorax walvisensis'' sp. nov |author1=Prokofiev, A.M. |author2=Kukuev, E.I. |doi=10.1134/S0032945209030023|bibcode=2009JIch...49..215P |s2cid=11102346 }}</ref>

<ref name="purdy">{{cite journal |title=Is ''Striatolamia'' a junior synonym of ''Mitsukurina''? |author=Purdy, R. |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=25 |issue=3 |page=102A |doi = 10.1080/02724634.2005.10009942|year=2005|s2cid=220413556 }}</ref>

<ref name="rincon et al">{{cite journal |author1=Rincon, G. |author2=Vaske, T. |author3=Gadig, O.B. |year=2012 |title=Record of the goblin shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae) from the south-western Atlantic |journal=Marine Biodiversity Records |volume=5 |article-number=e44 |doi=10.1017/S1755267211000923|bibcode=2012MBdR....5E..44R |hdl=11449/172177 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

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<ref name="tzn">{{cite news |url=http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/topic/topics_detail?kind=news&link_num=6190 |title=Goblin shark caught alive |newspaper=Tokyo Zoo Net |publisher=Tokyo Zoological Park Society |date=January 25, 2007 |access-date=April 26, 2013 |archive-date=March 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311122001/http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/topic/topics_detail?kind=news&link_num=6190 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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<ref name="nakaya et al">{{cite journal |title=Slingshot feeding of the goblin shark ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' (Pisces: Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae) |author1=Nakaya, K. |author2=Tomita, T. |author3=Suda, K |author4=Sato, K. |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=6 |article-number=27786 |doi=10.1038/srep27786 |pmid=27282933 |year=2016|pmc=4901258 |bibcode=2016NatSR...627786N }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mitsukurina owstoni}}
*[http://fishbase.org/summary/Mitsukurina-owstoni.html ''Mitsukurina owstoni'', Goblin shark] at FishBase.
*[https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mitsukurina_owstoni/ ''Mitsukurina owstoni'' (Elfin shark)] at Animal Diversity Web.
*[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/GoblinShark/GoblinShark.html "Biological Profiles: Goblin Shark"] at Florida Museum of Natural History. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201094857/http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/goblinshark/goblinshark.html |date=2016-02-01 }}
*[http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/m_owstoni.htm "Biology of the Goblin Shark"] at ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
*[https://ftw-eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/outdoors/2014/05/03/goblin-shark-gulf-of-mexico/82155481007/ "Fishermen catch nightmare-inducing goblin shark in the Gulf of Mexico"] at USA Today.

{{Lamniformes}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q499461}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mitsukurina|goblin shark]]
[[Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Fish of the Western United States]]
[[Category:Western North American coastal fauna]]
[[Category:Marine fish of Southern Africa]]
[[Category:Marine fish of Eastern Australia]]
[[Category:Fish of Japan]]
[[Category:Fish of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Fish of West Africa]]
[[Category:Fish of South Africa]]
[[Category:Taxa named by David Starr Jordan]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1898|goblin shark]]