Pregnant fossil shark caught in fisherman's net

A trawler caught an 800-kg goblin shark pregnant with six cubs off the coast of northeastern Taiwan.

Fishermen pulled the unusual shark from the deep on June 13. It is the largest goblin shark ever caught in the area. They had originally planned to sell it to a restaurant, according to the Taiwan Museum of Marine Art, which houses the specimen. The museum bought it for future educational display.

The goblin shark ( Mitsukurina owstoni ) is among the strangest sharks in the sea. The long-snouted creatures are benthic, meaning they live near the seafloor at depths of 1,200 kilometers (750 miles). Their jaws are filled with needle-like teeth that extend outward to catch prey such as bony fish, squid, and crustaceans, then retract into a resting position below their eyes, according to the Australian Museum. The goblin shark is the only living member of the shark family Mitsukurinidae, which originated 125 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. Comparisons between modern specimens and prehistoric fossils show that they have changed little over time.

While goblin sharks are typically grey, specimens pulled from the deep can take on a pinkish-purple hue if their blood vessels have been damaged by fishing gear. Photos from the museum’s Facebook page show the 15-foot-long shark with a bulging belly containing six live young. Goblin sharks mate through internal fertilization and are ovoviviparous, meaning the female lays eggs inside her until they hatch, then gives birth to live young. Fishermen accidentally caught the shark while casting nets on the seabed.

Marine conservationists have criticized the method because it is impossible to distinguish what is caught, so fishermen often catch large numbers of animals that are accidentally caught and then discarded. A study published in the journal Fisheries Research found that trawls account for nearly 60 percent of annual fishing waste, or 6 million tons.

Trawling also destroys the seafloor, disrupting animal habitats, stirring up sediments, changing water chemistry, and reducing the light needed for photosynthesis. This fishing method is banned in some parts of the world, including 90 percent of the seafloor along the West Coast of the United States.

Goblin sharks are rarely seen or filmed in the wild. Much of what researchers know about them comes from bycatch. They are not considered endangered due to human activity.

An Khang (According to Live Science )

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