Skip to content

Southern Fried Science

Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS

Florida fisherman catches an 18 foot goblin shark, the second ever caught in the Gulf of Mexico

Posted on May 2, 2014May 2, 2014 By David Shiffman 5 Comments on Florida fisherman catches an 18 foot goblin shark, the second ever caught in the Gulf of Mexico
Blogging, Science

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.”

Photo by Carl Moore, courtesy NOAA
Photo by Carl Moore, courtesy NOAA

This rare species of shark has only been seen in the Gulf of Mexico once before, in 2002. Though goblin sharks have been occasionally caught in the Atlantic and Indian ocean and a large group was caught in Taiwan following an undersea earthquake, most specimens have been found in the deep water canyons surrounding Japan. They are occasionally caught as bycatch in deep sea fisheries, as happened with Carl Moore. Unlike many species of shark, “they don’t have any commercial value, other than their jaws,” says Charlott Stenberg, a marine biologist and science writer. “But, I have a Japanese friend who ate some of it and thought the tongue was delicious”

Photo by Carl Moore, courtesy NOAA
Photo by Carl Moore, courtesy NOAA

Goblin sharks can be easily identified by their bizarre jaw, which protrudes a great deal while eating (video). The jaw of the goblin shark gives them their Japanese common name: Tenguzame, which references a mythical half human and half bird creature called Tengu. Their long, flat snout, relatively small head, and pink coloration are also distinctive. “ I love them because they’re pink, they’re mysterious, and they live deep among other cool creatures,” Stenberg says. I know many people think that they are ugly, but that just makes me love them more.”

The bottom view of a goblin shark's head and mouth, photo by Charlott Steinberg.
The bottom view of a goblin shark’s head and mouth, photo by Charlott Stenberg.

“NOAA biologists encourage people to call and report these rare sightings and catches, as the information they can collect allows them to know more about a species,” according to the official statement about this goblin shark by the National Marine Fisheries Service, After taking the photographs shown above, Carl Moore quickly released the goblin shark, which swam away.  This story spread without all of the correct information, initially resulting in several colleagues and I believing that Moore still had the shark and that it was possible to get samples for research projects. I am glad that this rare shark was released alive and reported to the proper authorities, and I will be writing a follow-up post soon explaining what to do if you catch a rare fish that does not survive. Such a specimen could benefit numerous ongoing research projects and help scientists to better understand a little-known animal.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Related

Tags: carl moore goblin shark goblin shark caught how big are goblin sharks

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: Documenting Deep Sea Drama: Pursuing the Reality of Ocean Acidification
Next Post: The incredible biodiversity of Aquaman’s variant cover ❯

5 thoughts on “Florida fisherman catches an 18 foot goblin shark, the second ever caught in the Gulf of Mexico”

  1. Meg says:
    May 2, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    Wow! This is a big deal! I knew what goblin sharks were before this and I knew that we didnt know much about them, but this is crazy! I didnt know we only saw one in 2000!

  2. darroch says:
    May 3, 2014 at 8:04 am

    Wow, look at all the bycatch – young fish, squid, crabs, spiny lobster (?), not to mention the shark. What a ridiculously destructive fishery, remind me to never eat Royal Red Shrimp…

  3. Karenina says:
    May 3, 2014 at 11:37 am

    Well done for putting it back into the sea and not giving it to the scientists – hopefully these creatures that only a mother could love may increase in numbers. We do so much damage all around our planet – every little action helps.

  4. Todd (@TheFakeTodd) says:
    May 3, 2014 at 5:12 pm

    Released alive? In the pictures it looks pretty dead.

  5. David Shiffman says:
    May 3, 2014 at 7:08 pm

    I wasn’t there. The fisherman says it was released alive.

Comments are closed.

Recent Popular Posts

Donald Trump and Sharks: An Annotated TimelineDonald Trump and Sharks: An Annotated TimelineJune 27, 2024David Shiffman
Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryShark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryAugust 10, 2014Michelle Jewell
Tangier, an Island out of Time.Tangier, an Island out of Time.July 3, 2017Andrew Thaler
Deep-sea mining, marine protected areas, and the eternal struggle to open doors: This Week in Andrew (and Angelo) Doing PodcastsDeep-sea mining, marine protected areas, and the eternal struggle to open doors: This Week in Andrew (and Angelo) Doing PodcastsMay 7, 2025Andrew Thaler
Here's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationHere's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationApril 10, 2024David Shiffman
I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.June 21, 2021Andrew Thaler
Sustainable Seafood, Endangered Species, and Jaws: Some upcoming talks and panelsSustainable Seafood, Endangered Species, and Jaws: Some upcoming talks and panelsMay 8, 2025David Shiffman
Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)September 7, 2010Andrew Thaler
My "Follow ocean science and conservation experts on Bluesky and Instagram" assignmentMy "Follow ocean science and conservation experts on Bluesky and Instagram" assignmentNovember 19, 2024David Shiffman
The story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageThe story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageSeptember 27, 2024David Shiffman
Subscribe to our RSS Feed for updates whenever new articles are published.

We recommend Feedly for RSS management. It's like Google Reader, except it still exists.

Southern Fried Science

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS


If you enjoy Southern Fried Science, consider contributing to our Patreon campaign.

Copyright © 2025 Southern Fried Science.

Theme: Oceanly Premium by ScriptsTown