#shark asks

[the-shark-well]

I SAW U TAG THE COLUMBO IMAGESET W INVESTIGATOR COPPORBOTTOM AND I /HAVE/ TO SEE THAT DRAWN NOW

Please—- if you ever want to—-

The post in question

JHBHJSHJ i was already thinking abt doodling it so thank you for the motivation

detective AU: @mintyfrosty

[obaewankenope]

Please share your knowledge of goblin sharks! ❤️

Please share your knowledge of goblin sharks! ❤️

Goblin sharks huh… those with the pointy noses ala probably why they’re called “goblin” sharks… okay, I can do that!

Goblin sharks: the Basics™

[Image source: mentalfloss.com]

Okay so, these weird looking kids drawings brought to life are actually a real rare species of deep-sea shark — that means they live deep out in the ocean, something like 100 metres (330 feet) below in the clear blue. They’re found throughout the world and there’s some researchers out there who argue Goblin Sharks can dive over 1300 metres down (4270 feet) for short pockets of time. That’s almost one-seventh of the height of Mount Everest (29000 feet) by the way. For y’all Americans, your football fields are about 91 metres long, so that means the Goblin Shark can possibly dive 14 football fields. 

Not gonna lie, I’m pretty impressed; and slightly scared lol.

Goblin Sharks are the only surviving member of the Mitsukurinidae family of sharks; they have a lineage then of 125 million years and then some! They come from the larger order of Lamniformes which get called Mackerel Sharks and one of its cousins is the Great White. 

Heckin’ interesting family reunion I guess; being the only member of that branch of the family still kicking when you see the beefcake great-great-great baby cousin of yours the Great White looking like the Ideal™ Shark.  Poor Goblin Shark with his absurd body design and old as balls evolutionary structure.

It hunts cephalopods and crustaceans (squid and crabs or shrimp basically) as well as teleost fish. Teleost fish are, to put it simply, a bony fish that can do like a shark with their jaw and pop them out. Because fish needed to become more terrifying to consider, of course. So the Goblin Shark hunts squid, shrimp, crabs, and fish like fucking Giant Oarfish and the Anglerfish and even Seahorses; depending on where they are in the oceans.

Lovely.

[Image Source: factanimal.com]

Goblin Sharks were “discovered” some time in the 1800s after a description of an immature male was caught in Sagami Bay, Japan and described by David Starr Jordan in 1898, an American ichthyologist who determined that the Goblin Shark caught in Sagami Bay was a new genus and family entirely from other sharks known at the time. Jordan gave the name for the Goblin Shark based on the ship master (Alan Owston) who caught it and the professor at University of Tokyo who assessed it (Kakichi Mitsukuri). Thus, the Goblin Shark’s scientific name is: Mitsukurina owstoni. 

[Image source: Wikipedia]

Incidentally, Goblin Shark as a term is a calque (or loan translation borrowed from another language) of its traditional Japanese name tenguzame which is a creature in Japanese mythology with a long nose and red face. Goblin Sharks are also called Elfin Sharks by the way; again, probably due to their facial structure with the nose… idk, that one still confuses me. 

Goblin Sharks are considered to be one of the oldest root members of the Lamniformes order; basal meaning base aka near the root/actually the root of a species/order/family etc. Because it’s the last member of a lineage that dates back to the — Middle Eocene (which is around 49 million years ago by the way) for the Goblin Shark as we know it right now — Cretaceous (125 million years ago), the Goblin Shark is called a “living fossil” because it also retains several of the traits “primitive” sharks once had. 

Goblin Shark: Description

Goblin Sharks are pink, not the traditionally expected countershading black/grey/blue/some colour and white belly set up other sharks have, and have that long flat snout with very poppy-outty jaws (protrusible, the word is protrusible) with nail-like teeth. Because needle teeth weren’t bad enough obviously. They can grow around 3 to 4 metres, around 13 feet long, but some have been recorded around 6 metres (20 feet).

[Image source: Wikipedia]

It also has a flabby old body with small pectoral and dorsal fins which suggest it’s not a fast mover like its cousin the Great White. So this is a pink, blobby thing with stubby fins and a pointy nose that definitely means it ain’t winning any Prettiest Of The Ocean competitions any time soon. Poor fella.

[Image source: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute]

Goblin Shark snouts are long and flat like a blade (think… which one was it in Pacific Rim with the pointy nose over its face… that’s basically a Goblin Shark head lol), and the snout decreases in length the older they get. They have little eyes with no protective nictitating membrane and behind each eye is a spiracle that leads to the respiratory system of an animal; basically nostrils. Their jaws can extend almost as far as to the end of their snout which is just Not Okay. And with something like 100 rows of teeth in its jaws, you do not want to be bitten by this long nosed nightmare blob from the depths. 

[Image source: Wikipedia]

Goblin Sharks also only have five gill slits which are pretty short to be honest. With a relatively slender, flabby body, and two small dorsal fins that are similar in size and shape, as well as little rounded pectoral fins, Goblin Sharks really don’t scream Effective Fast Predator at all. They’re more ambush predators since they can extend those damned jaws out so damned much. Unlike a lot of other sharks, Goblin Sharks have a rougher skin texture since their dermal denticles are shaped like spines with ridges lengthwise which point upright… charming.

[Image source: National Geographic]

Like other sharks, the Goblin Shark has a field of ampullae of Lorenzini which allow it to sense electric fields in the water that prey produce. This is one of the reasons, by the way, why it can be advised that you punch a shark in the snout when attacked, because that’s where the ampullae of Lorenzini are located. A punch to the snout is essentially a burst of loud as fuck static in your headphones for a shark.

Might get your arm bitten off in the attempt though.

Anyway, digression!

Goblin Sharks: Where to find em

You’ll find these nightmare nail teeth monstrosities in all the major oceans from the Atlantic where its been found in the Gulf of Mexico, southern Brazil, France, Portugal, and Senegal (to name a few), to the Indo-Pacific and Oceanic where it’s been found in the waters off South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. So yeah… basically everywhere. Great!

[Image source: Wikipedia]

Just something extra

So back when the Goblin Shark was being discovered and information about it getting published in journals etc, in 1910, a researcher wrote about the Goblin Shark and, honestly, bit harsh man… bit harsh. The wrote:

“...the new shark is certainly grotesque… the most remarkable feature is the curiously elongated nose…” — Hussakof, L, 1910, The Newly Discovered Goblin Shark of Japan. Scientific American: A Division of Nature. 

So there ya go! Stuff about Goblin Sharks! Now I’m going to go be thankful I don’t swim in the ocean for the next ten hours while rocking in a corner :D

[screamingshark]

Omg are you an author on ao3??? If so Can i have your link pls???🫶🏻❤️ I follow you on twt and I love your art btw !!!

Oh, thank you! I am an author on ao3, and you can find my work here:

Thank you for the support!

[sharkchimedes]

HELLO YOU LIKE RICHARD RIDER?

HFDSHFHDS YES HELLO I AM AN ENJOYER OF RICHARD RIDER!!

[smittenseraphim]

You should do 5 and 9 for the shark ask game :)

5. What is your favorite shark fact?

Greenland sharks have a neurotoxin called trimethylamine oxide in them! Which is why consuming them can make people feel intoxicated! They also smell like urine bc of their high concentrations of urea :)

9. What got you interested in sharks?

Jaws. I saw it for the first time when I was like 5/6 and I thought Hooper was SO cool. I figured if people didn’t want to be eaten they simply shouldn’t swim where sharks live and they especially shouldn’t act surprised that they see one.

[sharkest-sharks]

why do we have to go to school for six years for a nursing degree when nurse sharks get the job without any credentials

Oh! That's an easy one! So basically nurse shar

[8-xnny]

People:”Ew sharks are so ugly and mean and terrifying,their literally the most dangerous thing in the world”

Sharks:

[hellsitegenetics]

if it hasn't been asked already (sorry cannot figure out how to search)

chapter one of Alice in Wonderland: https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-I.html

String identified: CATtatAcaggtgttttgttaaagtgtctcatttaagttactcattaattatgtActtctcatacgaacttaaatttaagaacatttgttgacgtaatattacTatgaatatActtcttatatatattaaaattgttatatccttatgttaatttattttatatattatactataatcttatcatctaattatActattttaactataaatttaatcatctaatcttattagtctaactattatatattttaagattgtatccgatcatttAcattccgtatgttagaTatttagtataattatAcatatttattgagattaattattatatataggtattttaatatacgtttatatatgtatttatctatttcaaataaactggtaataataaAGAAAttgatatttattttaagaagtttttcaaatttgtActatcaaatattgtgtaatatattaatgatttttcattactaaattaatgttgatcttatttattatAcaatatgtttcatgtatagttggatatttttagactctattatattgttacttatattgtgttAcaaatattagttttgttcgatatgaagaaagttgtatttctagttatattaaTAtattaatgatatgttattatatgttaatatattatctaaataaAtaaattctaacctgaagtgtatcaagtAatagatttgtagttaaatttTatgtAcgatagagaactgttaatcattacattataatTactaaatgtcatcaatatatatcatatatAAcgatgtatatagtaatacatatatcatatatatatatcatactattttcattcattttatagaatgtatataagaataaagtatattttataatttcaaatcaaataaAcatattattatttaaaaaatgaagattatatgtgtTatatttaatActaatttataattacaaattgttgactttcttatagtagacataaaggtTatattacaAcaataatttgaatgatgttagacaatttggtaaagatatgtctatgaActtgtatattgtgtttataattctagtatatataatttattctcaactaattcataattattcgttttgtcatgatgttttAcgtctaActatatttaaaagtcagtaaattaagtaagtttgaagtgtttataaaaatagtgtatctatctgtatgtaaagtgtgtActttttctatctctgattatgaaattatAcagtttattgaTtatgttttactttaaggtattataatattgtcttatttttcctaataAcatctttaaaattatttagttActagtttaatattttAcatggttatataattataaactttatcagttaatatataattgacattttatagttcatatatttgatatctgtataaagtttatcattatatctatagtattttataActttattagtctaactatactatctaaatttattttattatacgaActttgatcAtaatcgaacgtatttgttatatgtggtgtttttatgatatattaggtattattatttgtaActggtatgtacaattAttacattaacaattcatctagcatgAtagtattgacggttgaatctaaAcgtttagtttttgatactttatctactcttatgtgaatttctgttattataattttgttttgatacCtcgtataActataatattgagagactgtatcatgtatactgtaagcatagactaagagattccatgtttttgtActttttagttactaattgatatagttatataacactATatacatattaAcatagagcaactatagacacttagtttgaatcacaatatttaaatcacagattatcataggaatttatatattgaaatcatAcagtcttactgtgtttatgtatatttattgtcattatca

Closest match: Erpobdella octoculata genome assembly, chromosome: 7 Common name: Freshwater Leech

(image source)

[sharkgirldick]

I think they laced every weed gummy I've ever had with slutweed...

[the-shark-well]

Shark, what do your baby stick beasts look like?

ugly (affectionate) !!

though admittedly these are only newborns . within a couple weeks their body pelts darken (although they retain white spots like baby deer until they reach about 3 years old) and they grow dramatically within a year of being born . within a few months they're about the size of a human newborn , in terms of relative size . They begin attempting to walk by week 2

[obaewankenope]

Are there any cool sharks that have sadly gone extinct? Or are in danger of going extinct?

So I've actually gone and signed up for an account on the IUCN website to look into this specifically without spending ten million years trying to find the answer. A short summary of those at risk of extinction and those already extinct below :)

According to the IUCN’s Red List (which basically gives you a run down on how close or far an animal is to extinction), searching “sharks” and narrowing down the search to CR (critically endangered), EN (endangered), and VU (vulnerable), I got 420 hits. Of those, it will include animals that have “shark” in their name; which may include non-shark fish. But I can at least narrow it down a bit further using taxonomy as a means to filter out non-shark animals. This means, for taxonomy, we look for “Chondrichthyes” as a class of animals; aka sharks and rays.

The result then narrows down to 416. These are sharks. And now I can sort the order of results from VU right the way down to CR (lower to high on the concern scale). Since we want to know the most at risk first, I can reverse this sorting so it’s most to least in danger.

There’s been no recently extinct sharks, according to the IUCN’s list, but that’s not to say shark species aren’t at great risk of extinction, or aren’t critically endangered because of a range of reasons. 

So, at the top of the list we have:

Scalloped Hammerhead

Angelshark

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Hidden Angelshark

Argentine Angelshark

Chilean Angelshark

Humpback Smoothhound

Indian Swellshark

Daggernose Shark

Ganges Shark

Dwarf Gulper Shark

Reticulated Swellshark

Striped Smoothhound

Scoophead Shark

Sarawak Pygmy Swell Shark

Pondicherry Shark

Pacific Smalltail Shark

Borneo Shark

Shorttail Nurse Shark

Lost Shark

Smoothback Angelshark

I’ve excluded rays from this list since they’re a different sub-branch of the Chonrichthyes class to sharks. That gives us 21 sharks classed as critically endangered (aka at risk of extinction) so far on the list. This is only from the first page, by the way. 

Out of the list, one shark is potentially thought to be extinct which is the Lost Shark (good name). Only 3 specimens of the species have been found in Borneo, Thailand, and Vietnam; all are over 80 years old. They were mistaken for a species of Smalltail Shark at first, but now they’re considered to be their own species. As a result, IUCN’s Red List classifies the Lost Shark as CR or possibly extinct.

This made me sad. I need to go cuddle Greg the Mako Shark who lives on my bed to feel better now.

[screamingshark]

Thanks for the fic, it was something fun to look towards too (:

It means so much to me that you enjoyed it! I hope the sequel will also be something you look forward to!

[sharkchimedes]

Saw - what I assume to be your - question on the Q&A. This HFTH - Episode 125 - Recollections (hellofromthehallowoods.com) is the episode that they along with a bunch of other one-off mention indies come up in.

i thought i'd replied to this! i didn't actually ask about that but this is deeply helpful info 4 me thank you for letting me know!! o:

[marinememes]

i made my very own marine meme what are your thoughts

10/10. You ate that up

[sharkonaut-draws]

I know she called him a motherfucker in the series but part of me feels she still reverts to not swearing again

[sharkest-sharks]

sharks don’t even have to worry about rent