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"I've never seen something so ugly in my life," commercial fisherman Carl Moore told Florida news outlet KeysNet.com. "The teeth were so wicked looking, I didn't want anyone getting too close to it." The goblin shark looks unique among fish because its entire lower jaw detaches and protrudes, similar to the fictional title monsters in the 'Alien' film franchise.
John Carlson, a shark expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration greeted the accidental finding with enthusiasm.
"This is great news," Carlson explained to the Houston Chronicle. "This is only the second confirmed sighting in the Gulf, the majority of specimens are found off Japan or in the Indian Ocean and around South Africa."
Although the goblin shark was caught on April 19th, it was not announced until yesterday as it was only recently brought to the attention of NOAA. Based on the pictures taken by the shrimpers, Carson believes the goblin shark was a female.