When Mike and Lochlainn Kelly went fishing off the southern coast of New South Wales, Australia, the last thing they expected to catch was a living dinosaur. However, that’s exactly what they found. The father and son managed to nab a rare adolescent goblin shark, sometimes referred to as a vampire shark.
Goblin sharks are rarely caught by humans. The species dislikes sunlight and usually resides near the ocean floor, about 4,000 feet below the surface.
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This particular specimen was caught just 2,000 feet below the surface. Scientists estimate that the shark is about two or three years old.
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“I wasn’t freaked out; if anything I was pretty excited,” said 22-year-old Lochlainn who hauled the shark in. “I’ve seen photos of them before but I’ve never seen one before.”
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The reason the goblin shark is sometimes called a living dinosaur is because the species has not evolved in any significant way for the last 125 million years.
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Adult goblin sharks can grow up to 13 feet long, but this particular shark was four feet in length.
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This goblin shark will sent on to the Australian Museum in Sydney for further study.
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(source The Daily Mail)
If I pulled this fish up from the deep and wasn’t expecting it, I think I would probably die of shock. Good thing the Kellys knew not to freak out.
