Australian Museum welcomes 'alien of the deep' goblin shark

SYDNEY, March 3 (UPI) -- The Australian Museum announced the body of a rare goblin shark, the "alien of the deep," is being added to its collection.

The museum announced the specimen, caught unintentionally in Green Cape off the coast of New South Wales in January, will join an exhibit featuring remains of three other goblin sharks in the facility's Ichthyology Collection.

Collection manager Mark McGrouther said goblin sharks, often called "living fossils" due to being the only surviving member of a prehistoric shark family stretching back 125 million years, are rarely encountered by humans.

"They are not encountered terribly often, and when they do come here it's a very special day," he said.

The sharks are unique for using an "alien-like" mechanism to thrust their jaws forward and spear prey with their long teeth.

A goblin shark made headlines last year when it was caught bu fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico.