Goblin Sharks Clamp Down On Prey Using ‘Slingshot’ Jaw

By analyzing rare video footage, Japanese researchers have found that goblin sharks project their distinct, protruding jaws forward at incredible speeds to bite prey.

AsianScientist (Aug. 17, 2016) – A research team has unraveled a century-old mystery surrounding how the deep-sea goblin shark utilizes its protruding jaws to catch its prey. Their work was published in Scientific Reports.

The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) was first discovered in deep waters off Japan in 1898. Known as Mitsukuri sharks in Japan, goblin sharks are so-called in Western nations due to their somewhat alarming appearance: a pinkish body lacking proper pigment, exposed teeth and protruding jaws. Until now, few details were known about the species.

To find out how exactly these creepy goblin sharks eat at great depths, the research team, led by Emeritus Professor Kazuhiro Nakaya of Japan’s Hokkaido University, studied rare video footage from Japanese public broadcaster NHK in which two goblin sharks separately captured prey on a total of five occasions.

It turns out that the sharks project their jaws forward whenever they bite. Described by the researchers as ‘slingshot feeding,’ it involves the projection of the jaws at speeds of up to 3.1 meters per second, over distances comparable to 8.6-9.4 percent of the total length of the shark’s body.

This jaw protrution speed far outranks that of other kinds of sharks. Interestingly, this is also the fastest speed recorded for a fish. Hence, the researchers believe that the shark has evolved to adapt to deep-sea environments where food is scarce, possibly also compensating for its slow swimming speed.


The article can be found at: Nakaya et al. (2016) Slingshot feeding of the goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Pisces: Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae).

———

Source: Hokkaido University.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist