The Goblin Shark

Sharks are scary enough, but that scare factor increases quite a bit when they have a long, spear-shaped appendage on their head! Say hello the goblin shark, a deep-sea shark and the lone member of the Mitsukurinidae family. Looks a bit like something you would see in a sci-fi movie, doesn't it?

The goblin shark is known, obviously, for its long, spearlike snout, which is much larger than the snouts of other shark species. It also has a jaw that can be protruded and retracted. They can be found throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, but are most commonly sighted around Japan (where they were discovered).

Though the goblin shark looks scary, you can rest easy that the likelihood of running into one is much more rare than, say, a great white. They live in waters that reach more than 200 feet deep. Aside for their carnivorous eating habits, not much is known about the goblin sharks because they living environment makes it very difficult to observe.