#mitsukurinidae

[morgansram]

Scapanorhynchus raphiodon fossil shark teeth X

[wikipediapictures]

Goblin shark

“Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) scaled with a human” - via Wikimedia Commons

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Sharks are famous for their ferocious bites, and goblin sharks are no exception! The most iconic image of these sharks is with their jaws protruding, but in fact most of the time their jaws remain retracted under their snouts. The jaws only extend when snatching up prey, which goblin sharks can do in the blink of an eye-- a goblin shark can project its jaws at a rate of 3.1 m/s (10.1 ft/s). That's faster than a cobra strike! As if that weren't enough, goblin shark jaws can open to 111 degrees; for comparison, human mouths can only open up to 50 degrees.

Check out the video below to see those jaws in action!

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