The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) is one of the ocean’s most fascinating yet mysterious creatures. Known for its strange looks and deep-sea habitat, this shark has recently caught researchers’ attention for its remarkable jaw speed. New studies reveal that the goblin shark has one of the fastest jaw mechanisms recorded among fish, allowing it to capture prey efficiently in an energy-scarce environment.
This unique feeding style, dubbed slingshot feeding, allows the goblin shark to strike swiftly without needing body momentum. Instead, it uses a rapid jaw movement, revealing how these slow-moving predators thrive in their challenging habitat. Researchers from Hokkaido University analyzed rare footage captured by the Okinawa Churashima Foundation and discovered that these sharks can extend their jaws at an astounding speed of 3.1 meters per second. This movement covers nearly 10 percent of their body length, effectively grasping prey that would otherwise be too quick to catch.
First identified in 1898, the goblin shark typically lives deep in the ocean, between 250 to over 1,200 meters. New insights underline its role in understanding predation mechanics in such extreme environments. In a peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports, researchers noted that the goblin shark’s jaw movement surpasses all previously documented speeds among fish, reaching 8.6 to 9.4 percent of body length, compared to just 1 to 2 percent in other sharks.
What’s interesting is the goblin shark’s jaw structure. It features special ligaments that store energy, which are released during a strike, similar to a stretched elastic band. This allows the shark to perform powerful strikes without much overall body movement. There’s also a puzzling secondary jaw movement during retraction that researchers have yet to fully explain, hinting at the creature’s complex feeding mechanisms. For more insights, see the summary of their findings on EurekAlert.
The goblin shark’s slow-moving nature fits its deep-sea life, where food is not plentiful. With limited energy, it employs a very efficient approach to hunting. It doesn’t chase after prey like other sharks, which need to expel lots of energy. Instead, it ambushes its meals, catching them by surprise in a way that’s particularly adapted to the dark, cold depths of the ocean.
Another advantage for the goblin shark is its highly specialized electrosensory system. Its elongated snout is full of ampullae of Lorenzini, which detect electric fields created by other animals. This helps it hunt even in complete darkness, a significant asset in the deep ocean where visibility is poor.
Interestingly, most of what we know about goblin sharks comes from accidental catches in deep-sea fishing nets. They are found in various oceans, including the Atlantic and the Pacific, but studying them is a challenge. They belong to the ancient family Mitsukurinidae, which has existed for over 125 million years. Being the last of their kind, they hold critical information about shark evolution and adaptation to deep-sea living.
Despite their otherworldly looks, goblin sharks are not a threat to humans. They rarely come into contact with people due to their deep habitat and low population. There’s still much we don’t know about them, including their breeding habits, population size, and how they adapt to changing ocean conditions.
