The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
ISSN 2307-8235 (online)
IUCN 2008: T44565A10907385
Mitsukurina owstoni, Goblin Shark
Assessment by: Duffy, C.A.J., Ebert, D.A. & Stenberg , C.
View on www.iucnredlist.org
Citation: Duffy, C.A.J., Ebert, D.A. & Stenberg , C. 2004. Mitsukurina owstoni. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2004: e.T44565A10907385.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
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THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Chordata
Chondrichthyes
Lamniformes
Mitsukurinidae
Taxon Name: Mitsukurina owstoni Jordan, 1898
Synonym(s):
• Scapanorhynchus jordoni
• Scapanorhynchus owstoni
Regional Assessments:
• Europe
Common Name(s):
• English:
• French:
• Spanish:
Goblin Shark, Elfin Shark
Requin Lutin
Tiburones Duende
Taxonomic Notes:
There is a single extant species in the family Mitsukurinidae.
Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria:
Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:
2004
Date Assessed:
April 30, 2004
Annotations:
Needs Updating
Justification:
This species is assessed as Least Concern because although apparently rare, it is widespread in the
Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and is only infrequently taken in deepwater fisheries. It has a
sporadic distribution with most records from the Northwest Pacific (Japan, Taiwan) on the upper
continental slope. May also be mesopelagic. It is likely to be found in more locations than previously
known as deepwater surveys are undertaken in other regions or as deepwater fisheries expand globally.
Taken in deep bottom-set gillnet, bottom longline and trawl fisheries; rarely surface drift nets. Also
entangled in deepwater fishing gear. Recorded from depths of < 30 m (occasional) to > 1,000 m with
reported landings of adults rare suggesting most of the adult population is unavailable to existing
deepwater fisheries.
Geographic Range
Range Description:
Most goblin shark records come from Japan. All Japanese records have been made between Tosa Bay
and Boso Peninsula (including Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay, Izu Islands), despite similar fishing gear being
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
1
used throughout the Japanese Archipelago (Yano 2003). In April 2003 an exceptionally large number of
goblin sharks (reportedly 100 to 300) were captured off northwest Taiwan, an area they had been
previously unknown from.
The species is likely to occur in more locations than presently known as surveys are undertaken in other
regions or as deepwater fisheries expand globally.
Country Occurrence:
Native: Australia (New South Wales, South Australia); France; French Guiana; Guyana; India; Japan;
Mozambique; New Zealand; Portugal (Madeira); Senegal; South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, KwaZuluNatal, Western Cape); Suriname; Taiwan, Province of China; United States (California)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Native: Atlantic - eastern central, Atlantic - northeast, Atlantic - southeast, Atlantic - southwest, Atlantic
- western central, Indian Ocean - eastern, Indian Ocean - western, Pacific - eastern central, Pacific northwest, Pacific - southwest
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
2
Distribution Map
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
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Population
Reported landings from Tokyo Canyon show no trend in abundance (Yano 2003).
Current Population Trend: Stable
Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)
This is an apparently rare and consequently poorly known upper slope, possibly mesopelagic species.
Maximum size is estimated to be 540 to 617 cm total (TL) using regression analysis based on
photographs of a specimen taken in the Gulf of Mexico (Parsons et al. 2002). Males are mature at 264
cm TL; female size at maturity is unknown. Pregnant females are unknown but like other Lamniformes
the embryos are probably oviphagous and litter size is likely to be small. The smallest known freeswimming individual was about 88 cm TL.
Individuals less than 300 cm TL are occasionally reported inshore or near the surface over deepwater at
depths <30 m, and occur to at least 979 m depth. Individuals larger than 300 cm TL have not been
collected shallower than about 270 m depth. Maximum reported depth is 1,300 m, however, it is
unclear if the specimens referred to in this record were taken on the bottom or in the water column as
the trawl was deployed and/or retrieved. The largest reported specimen was tangled in a crab pot at
about 1,000 m depth. Most reported captures are of small juveniles taken on or near the bottom over
the outer shelf and upper slope. In Tokyo Canyon peak catches of goblin sharks in bottom-set gillnets
occur between 200 to 300 m depth. A seasonal peak in catches occurs between December and April,
with secondary peaks reported in July and September in some years (Yano 2003). Total catch is low with
a maximum of about 30 individuals a year reported. The fishery takes mainly small juveniles less than
150 cm TL. The largest specimens taken in this fishery exceeded 200 cm TL and were also immature
(Yano 2003). Goblin sharks collected at similar depths off New Zealand, South Africa and France (Bay of
Biscay) have also been juveniles suggesting that the bulk of the adult population occurs outside the
depth range, or is otherwise unavailable to most deepwater fisheries.
Their anatomy suggests goblin sharks are a non-vertical migrating mesopelagic species. Although poorly
known their diet also suggests a mesopelagic habitat. A large goblin shark taken near the surface off
California had been feeding on squid. Juveniles (<150 cm TL) taken off Kaikoura, New Zealand, and
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, had been feeding on midwater crustacea (including Macrocypridina
castanea rotunda), unidentified teleosts, and squid (including juvenile Teuthowenia pellucida).
Goblin sharks were unknown from Taiwan until 2003, when an exceptionally large number (> 100) were
reportedly caught off the northwest coast over two weeks in April by a number of fishers. These
captures were reportedly made around 600 m depth, following a strong earthquake centred in the area.
One fisher reportedly stated that most of these sharks were male. No measurements or other data are
known to have been recorded; however, an unconfirmed length estimate of 350 to 400 cm TL for some
specimens was reportedly based upon the size of several jaws (M. and M. Kazmers posting on the
Archives of [email protected], 12 July 2003).
Systems: Marine
Threats (see Appendix for additional information)
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
4
The goblin shark is a rare bycatch of deepwater fisheries with most captures around Japan. In an
unusual occurrence, an exceptionally large number (> 100) were reportedly caught off the northwest
coast of Taiwan over two weeks in April 2003 by a number of fishers.
Taken in deep bottom-set gillnet, bottom longline and trawl fisheries; rarely surface drift nets. Also
entangled in deepwater fishing gear. Most reported captures are juveniles suggesting that the bulk of
the adult population occurs outside the depth range of, or is otherwise unavailable to most deepwater
fisheries.
The jaws are sought after by collectors. The jaws of most of those goblin sharks landed in Taiwan during
April 2003 were reported exported to the USA. Prices vary with the size and quality of the jaw, and
range from US$1,500-$4,000.
Conservation Actions
No conservation measures are in place for this species.
Credits
Assessor(s):
Duffy, C.A.J., Ebert, D.A. & Stenberg , C.
Reviewer(s):
Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
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Bibliography
Bass, A.J., D'Aubrey, J.D. and Kistnasamy, N. 1975. Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. V. The
families Hexanchidae, Chlamydoselachidae, Heterodontidae, Pristiophoridae and Squatinidae. South
African Association for Marine Biological Research, Oceanographic Research Institute Investigational
Report No. 43.
Compagno, L.J.V. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated
catalogue of shark species known to date. Bullhead, Mackerel and Carpet Sharks (Heterodontiformes,
Lamniformes & Orectolobiformes).
Duffy, C.A.J. (1997). Further records of the goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni (Lamniformes:
Mitsukurinidae), from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 24:167–171.
IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23
November 2004.
IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.
Kobayashi, H., Yamaguchi, Y., Nonoda, T., Izawa, K. and Ban, H. 1982. The sharks caught on the
continental shelf and slope in the Kumano Nada Region along the Pacific coast of Japan. Bulletin of the
Faculty of Fisheries, Mie University 9: 101–123.
Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Second Edition. CSIRO Publishing,
Collingwood.
Parsons, G.R., Ingram Jr., G.W. and Havard, R. 2002. First record of the goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni,
Jordan (Family Mitsukurnidae) in the Gulf of Mexico. Southeastern Naturalist 1(2): 189–192.
Stevens, J.D. and Paxton, J.R. 1985. A new record of the goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni (Family
Mitsukurinidae), from eastern Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 108(1):
37–45.
Stewart, A.L. and Clark, M.R. 1988. Records of three families and four species of fish new to the New
Zealand fauna. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 15: 577–583.
Ugoretz, J.K. and Seigel, J.A. 1999. First eastern Pacific record of the goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni
(Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae). California Fish and Game. 85(3):118–120.
Yano, K. 2003. Aspects of the biology of deep-sea sharks. Key note address, Conservation and
Management of Deepsea Chondrichthyan Fishes, Joint FAO and IUCN Shark Specialist Group Preconference Meeting, Deepsea 2003. University of Otago, Portobello Marine Laboratory, Portobello, New
Zealand, 27-29 November 2003.
Citation
Duffy, C.A.J., Ebert, D.A. & Stenberg , C. 2004. Mitsukurina owstoni. The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species 2004: e.T44565A10907385.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
6
External Resources
For Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the Red List website.
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
7
Appendix
Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Habitat
Season
Suitability
Major
Importance?
10. Marine Oceanic -> 10.1. Marine Oceanic - Epipelagic (0-200m)
-
Suitable
-
Threats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Threat
Timing
Scope
Severity
Impact Score
5. Biological resource use -> 5.4. Fishing & harvesting
aquatic resources -> 5.4.4. Unintentional effects:
(large scale)
Ongoing
-
-
-
Research Needed
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)
Research Needed
1. Research -> 1.2. Population size, distribution & trends
1. Research -> 1.3. Life history & ecology
3. Monitoring -> 3.1. Population trends
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mitsukurina owstoni – published in 2004.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T44565A10907385.en
8
The IUCN Red List Partnership
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN
Red List Partners are: BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation
International; Microsoft; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas
A&M University; Wildscreen; and Zoological Society of London.
THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™