You might need to do a double-take when you see what a Florida fisherman caught.
Last week, commercial fisherman Carl Moore was fishing for royal red shrimp off the coast of Key West Florida. When he pulled up a net from more than 2,000 feet, Moore had caught something other than just shrimp. In his net was an unusual looking enormous fish—a goblin shark more than 18 feet long. As Moore reported to the NOAA scientist he reported his catch to, “it was uglier than a mother-in-law.”
The goblin shark, discovered in the late 19th century, was named for its “creepy” appearance. Its long, flat snout works like a metal detector.
What’s Inside The Stomach Of A Mako Shark?
Have you ever wanted to know the contents of a shark’s stomach?
Psst, hey kid. You wanna see some clips from the dissection of one of the largest mako sharks ever caught? Sure you do.
This NOAA video has amazing footage of the shark’s stomach — so big it fills a tall Rubbermaid tub — and the even more amazing footage of scientists lifting an almost completely intact sea lion head out said shark’s stomach.
What’s the benefit? Studying the stuff in a shark’s stomach helps us understand how different species are interrelated — which helps scientists figure out how to better manage the conservation of whole ecosystems. Essentially, write the good folks at Smithsonian.com, this is an example of scientists making valuable use out of a not-exactly-ideal situation. The shark was legally caught and killed by fishermen filming a scene for a reality TV show.
