iStockphoto / George Melin
A fisherman in Russia recently captured and photographed a rare goblin shark.
Relative to other shark species, little is known about goblin sharks as they’re believed to inhabit depths up to 4,270 feet below the surface. They are also believed to be able to grow up to 13 feet long.
Roman Fedortsov is a fisherman and photographer who works in the frigid waters off of Russia. He recently captured this goblin shark in a trawler near Murmansk, Russia.
Commenters on Instagram were shocked and amazed. They said:
“But what does it taste like battered and fried?”
“Hieronymous Bosch’s hell realm just called – said they’re missing their most prized godforsaken fish-goblin.”
“Alien sequel movie set or fishing boat?”
The thing about goblin sharks is even though they’re considered a ‘living fossil’ and the species has remained relatively unchanged in 125 million years, they look like aliens.
These sharks look like they were made from spare parts of sea creatures. Their elongated snout and protruding jaw reveal sharp teeth. And the jawline frames their face in a way that makes them look like grump old men.
As rare as these goblin sharks are, it is not completely unheard of for them to be caught in nearby waters. One was captured in Florida (as bycatch) about 8 years ago:
They can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, Baja Peninsula, northeast Coast of Brazil, and off Europe, southern Australia, and Africa. Basically, if the water is deep enough there might be a goblin shark in it.
Roman Fedortsov, the fisherman who captured this specimen, comes across spectacular species in Russia’s frigid waters. Other recent catches include this deformed halibut:
An ocean cockroach (isopod):
A Frilled Shark with spectacular teeth:
And this peculiar catfish:
If you are afraid of the ocean then realistically speaking, this Instagram account probably isn’t for you. He does a great job at highlighting the sea’s most fascinating and peculiar creatures but we get that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.