Discover the Underwater Oddities: Top 14 Fun Facts About Goblin Sharks You Can't Miss

1. Electro-Sherlock of the Deep

Behold, the goblin shark: a deep-sea predator with a sniffer so sophisticated, it seems inspired by the methods of Sherlock Holmes and his trusty magnifying glass! In reality, though, these creatures owe their sleuthing prowess to their highly advanced electrosensitive system: a complex network of minute pores in their skin, part of an organ called the ampule of Lorenzini, which helps them detect the faintest of electrical fields that surround their prey – an essential ability for navigating and hunting in the darkest, abyssal depths of the ocean.
Source => fws.gov

2. Dracula's Favorite Shark

If Dracula had a favorite shark, it would undoubtedly be the goblin shark: a deep-sea dweller with exquisitely extendable jaws and the uncanny ability to rotate its fang-like teeth, making it an adept and bloodthirsty sea hunter. Despite this terrifying talent, goblin sharks prefer to lurk in the depths of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, typically residing between 130-3,900 feet along outer continental shelves and slopes.
Source => marinebio.org

Did you know Anne the Shark swam a whopping 12,000 miles – a record-breaking feat – to find love across the ocean? Discover more about her incredible journey!

=> Fun Facts about Sharks

3. Jaw-Extending Pro

When a goblin shark plays "Hungry Hungry Hippos" it doesn't mess around: this weirdly wonderful creature possesses the ability to protrude its fang-filled jaws up to three inches out of its mouth, using elastic ligaments to ensnare unsuspecting prey that wanders just out of reach- giving it a unique advantage among its fellow shark brethren.
Source => kids.nationalgeographic.com

4. Ocean's personal Metal Detector

Goblin Sharks: the ocean's very own metal detectors with noses to die for! These deep-sea divas don't need a flashlight to find their lunch: their elongated, flat snouts are adorned with a fancy network of electroreceptors called Ampullae of Lorenzini, enabling them to detect the electric fields generated by other sea critters and triumphantly chow down in the dark depths.
Source => sharkwater.com

5. Ghoulish Gourmet

Move over, Count Dracula: the real masters of the deep, dark sea don't fear predators, and they don't need any capes or coffins. Say hello to the Goblin Sharks, laden with elongated snouts and sporting fang-like teeth, perfectly designed for navigating the depths of the ocean: These ghastly gilled gourmands rely on electro-sensitive receptors to easily track down prey in their shadowy territory, making them the true terror-in-residence, lurking far away from other toothy terrors.
Source => sharksider.com

6. Sea-floor Sweeper

Navigating the deep sea like an eerie metal detector with a distinct fashion sense: the Goblin Shark boasts a lengthy, peculiar snout filled with electroreceptors – the ampullae of Lorenzini – that allows it to effortlessly sweep the seabed and discover its dinner of fish, mollusks, and crab.
Source => sharksider.com

7. Vampire of the Deep

Meet the goblin shark, the vampire of the deep: propelled by the scent of blood, it can extend its monstrous jaw in a flash and snatch hapless prey into its gory gullet! Factual bite: these elusive deep-sea sharks boast a unique, protruding jaw that allows them to swiftly capture small, soft-bodied fish and squid, while their rear teeth are specially adapted to crush their meals into submission.
Source => sharkstewards.org

8. Pearly Whites on Display

Say cheese and show off them pearly whites: the goblin shark flashes its extraordinary teeth for the world to see even with its mouth closed, as their sizable and gnarled chompers are simply too tremendous to fit inside their jaws. With a starring role in the oceans' very own creature feature, these sharks rely on extendable jaws to snap up their prey, showcasing a unique dental display worthy of a sci-fi horror flick.
Source => oceana.org

9. Jaw-thru Dining

Forget about drive-thru ordering, goblin sharks have mastered the art of jaw-thru dining: Goblin sharks can rapidly extend their jaws forward at speeds up to 31 m/s to snatch up prey, highlighting their unique chomp-ability that sets them apart from other sharks species and earns them a "living fossil" reputation, even though they evolved from the Mitsukurinidae family around 125 million years ago.
Source => balisharks.com

10. Prehistoric Time Traveler

Step aside, time-traveling dinosaurs: the goblin shark is here to steal your prehistoric thunder with their bizarre, jaw-dropping features and "living fossil" status! Although they might score low on the attractiveness scale, their evolutionary prowess deserves a round of applause: Goblin sharks have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years, sporting a unique flat snout, retractable jaw, and a liver that helps them stealthily hunt fish, shrimp, and squid with ease.
Source => animals.howstuffworks.com

11. Devil's Underwater Watchdogs

Goblin sharks may very well be the creepy, underwater embodiment of "speak of the devil, and he shall appear," with their constantly open mouths and beady little eyes that always seem to be watching: These mysterious deep-sea dwellers possess fully functional, small eyes that help them detect faint changes in light, while their nasal regions are crammed with electrosensory pores, turning them into bona fide prey-detecting machines.
Source => earthtouchnews.com

12. GPS of Goblin Sharks

Who needs GPS when you've got goblin sharks: These deep-sea navigators come equipped with their very own electrifying treasure maps, thanks to their skin being filled with tiny pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. This powerful feature allows them to detect the electric fields produced by their prey, making them expert hunters with astonishing accuracy.
Source => fws.gov

13. Underdog of the Shark World

Everyone enjoys a good underdog story, and in the world of sharks, it seems that goblin sharks are the OG underdogs: As it turns out, they are the most basal member of the Lamniformes family, which means these ghoulishly peculiar sharks are more primitive in nature compared to their headline-stealing relative, the Great White Shark.
Source => allcreaturespod.com

14. Missile Jaws

Imagine a shark that's part comic book super-villain, part horror movie monster, and part quirkily engineered killing machine: That's our dear goblin shark, rocking a jaw that launches forward like a missile when it's snack time. This bizarre fish doesn't just have a jaw-dropping appearance; it harnesses the power of stretchy ligaments to catapult its mouth with unmatched speed, nabbing fast-moving prey that mistakenly think they can out-swim a bite from this nautical nightmare.
Source => fws.gov