Species: Mitsukurina owstoni, Elfin shark, Goblin shark

snout = very long, flat blade

teeth: 1 long, slender point
Mitsukurina owstoni Jordan, 1898
Goblin shark, Elfin shark
Body compressed, slender, very soft and flabby; head nearly as long as the body trunk; snout greatly elongated, flattened, blade–like; eyes small; mouth large, broadly arched, with highly protrusible jaws; teeth large, front and side teeth very slender with one cusp, similar in both jaws, rear teeth small and blunter; 35 - 53 upper, 31 - 62 lower; gill slits short, all before pectoral base, gill filaments partially exposed; dorsal fins small, rounded, similar size, smaller than pelvic and anal fins; pectoral fins small, broadly rounded; pelvic fins large; tail base compressed, without keels pits before tail fin; tail fin long, top margin elongate but <1/2 body length, no lower lobe; skin denticles small, with erect, narrow, spike–like cusps and ridges; cusps of lateral denticles pointing perpendicular to surface of skin making it rough.
Uniform pinkish– white; with bluish fins.
Reaches 550-617 cm
Probably midwater over deepwater
Depth range 30-1300, typically 270-960 m.
All three oceans; the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Water column only
- Mid Water
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
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- Pelagic
- Bathypelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Pelagic crustacea
- Zooplankton
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Live birth
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Regional Endemism
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- GC non-endemic
- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- All species..
- Continent
- Continent only
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 617
- Depth Range Min
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- 30
- Depth Range Max
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- 1300