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Goblin Shark Distribution
There is great mystery surrounding the goblin shark. Commonly associated with the waters off Japan, where it was first observed in 1898, the goblin shark is believed to be widely, but patchily, distributed across the world's oceans. Goblin sharks inhabit western Pacific Ocean waters near Japan, New Zealand and the southern coast of Australia. They have been reported in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Guiana in South America and also near the Canary Islands, France, England and in the Gulf of Guinea. Specimens have also been sighted near South Africa, Mozambique and the Gulf of Mexico.
Bottom Dwellers
Goblin sharks are true denizens of the deep and are rarely seen in shallow water or near the ocean's surface. They are bottom-dwellers found primarily on the outer edges of continental shelves, along continental slopes and near seamounts. Most goblin shark observations have been at depths between 900 and 3,200 feet, although they have been sighted at depths exceeding 4,200 feet.
The deep-water habitat of the goblin shark is characterized by perpetual darkness, near-freezing temperatures and crushing pressure.
Perpetual Darkness
Living at depths far deeper than sunlight can penetrate, animals living in the perpetual darkness adapt to the lack of light in a variety of ways. Some have developed light-producing organs that attract prey or distract predators while they make an escape.
Because there is no light, there is no need for the vivid colors seen on organisms near the surface. There is little color diversity in the depths. Most animals are red, black or brown, though some like the goblin shark are pale colored. Red appears black at extreme depths, allowing red animals to blend in with the dark surroundings.
Sight plays little role in hunting. Goblin sharks hunt crab, shrimp, squid and other deep water fishes by sensing tiny electrical impulses with sensitive organs in their rostrum, or snout.
Crushing Pressure
The water pressure at the 650-foot depth near the upper continental slope is about 10 times greater than the pressure at the surface. At the bottom the continental slope the pressure may be more than 100 times as great. These pressures would cause surface-dwelling organisms to implode, but the goblin shark body compensates for the immense pressure by having a large percentage of water in their tissues, bones and organs. The goblin shark body has approximately the same density as seawater. A large oil-filled liver provides the goblin shark with significant buoyancy.
Near-Freezing Temperatures
Because warming sunlight does not penetrate the deep waters of the continental slope, the goblin shark's habitat is invariably cold, usually only a few degrees above freezing. Organisms dwelling in extremely cold temperatures tend to be slow-moving with slower metabolisms than animals in more temperate environments. They feed less frequently and digest their food slowly. They also tend to live longer lives. Some species of fish found at the bottom of continental slopes are thought to live more than 70 years.