Deep Sea Creatures
A rare goblin shark was caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
We know very little about the goblin sharks. They live in very deep waters and rarely surface. The majority of sightings happen off the coast of Japan. This is only the second sighting to happen in the Gulf of Mexico.
Catch & Release
Carl Moore is a shrimp fisherman. He was astonished by what he pulled up in his nets on on April 19,2014.
“First thing I told them boys was, ‘Man, he’s ugly! Looks prehistoric to me,’” Moore said.
Carl’s young grandson loves sharks, so Carl has a camera on hand to snap pictures every chance he gets. However, he didn’t get too close to the creature that is often coined a “living fossil.”
“I was going to take the tape measure, then he flashed around again. I said, ‘Forget the measurement. That thing’ll eat me up!’”
Much to the dismay of many scientists, Carl released the goblin shark back into the water right after taking his photos.
But wait, there’s more!
As scientists were studying the photos, they noticed another deep sea creature!
Giant isopods are scavengers that generally live at depths of over 1,000 feet.
Isopods do not typically travel in packs, and the only time you see them in abundance is around a food source. Couple the rare goblin shark with multiple isopods, and scientist believe that Carl and his crew were fishing over a whalefell.
A whalefell is used to describe the final resting place of a deceased whale. The body settles in deep water and special ecosystems form around feeding on the carcass.
Look closely at these photos and see if you can spot what appears to be isopods.
*Photos: Carl Moore/courtesy of NOAA
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