There are several strange species of sharks.

Photo Credit ( Pixels )

View three of the most unusual goblins, vipers, and wobbegongs.

When one hears the word “shark,” many people immediately picture the more commonplace great white sharks, bull sharks, and tiger sharks. However, some animals that live beneath the ocean’s surface have somewhat different appearances from their cousins.

The majority of people associate the aforementioned species with shark attacks. The International Shark Attack File reports that there were just 69 unprovoked bites globally in 2023. Despite their rarity, great white, bull, and tiger shark attacks can occasionally be fatal due to the size of the victims. However, there are millions of these predators in the water, and the less common ones can be some of the most fascinating in terms of appearance and personality.

Sharks that goblin (Mitsukurina owstoni)

The most notable characteristic of this shark is its mouth, which is impossible to miss. They can retract their lips behind their eyes and extend forward to the length of their extraordinarily long, flat snouts, according to the Australian Museum. Goblin sharks can be found in all three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian), preferring to stay between 800 and 3,000 feet below the surface.

Sharks known as viper dogfish (Trigonognathus kabeyai)

These incredibly unusual small sharks are characterized by their glowing bellies, enormous eyes, gaping jaws that allow them to consume their meal in a single bite, and eerie, snake-like fangs. Sharks eating verver dogfish are extremely rare, and when they are, they are usually found close to Taiwan, Hawaii, and Japan. According to Newsweek, five of the sharks were discovered in 2018 near Taiwan’s coast; however, all but one of them were dead, and the last shark passed away a day later. It is reported that they may survive as deep as 3,300 feet.

Sharks that tasselled their wobbegongs (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)

Shark Wobbegong

On a reef in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, there is a Tasseled wobbegong. Owing to its extraordinary marine biodiversity, this tropical area is referred to as the “heart” of the Coral Triangle.

Often referred to as “carpet sharks,” this species is easily distinguished by the peculiar fringe running the length of its head and its pattern of camouflage. According to Abyss Scuba Diving, there are 12 different species of wobbegong sharks, including the Tasselled variation. These sharks are infamous for being ambush predators, meaning they wait for their victim to approach them closely before striking. This specific species of wobbegong inhabits the western Pacific’s continental shelf and reefs, where it may be found at depths of up to 131 feet. It is frequently sighted in the northern Great Barrier Reef.

What is the number of species of sharks?

The Shark Research Institute states that there are over 400 different species of sharks. Like every other species, these animals are categorized scientifically. Sharks are classified as chondrichthyes, which are fish without bones that have cartilage skeletons, which are similar to the tissue found in human noses, ears, and joints.

Furthermore, despite the fact that descriptions of sharks are frequently generic, no two species are same. Their characteristics vary greatly, ranging from their place of residence, diet, social interactions, and even mode of reproduction (some are cannibals in the womb, eating their own siblings).

However, a lot of these species could become extinct, mostly as a result of habitat loss and climate change. According to a 2022 study, almost all marine species will face extinction if greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main cause of global temperature rises that support extreme weather and agriculture among other things, are not controlled by the end of the century. According to the analysis, sharks and other huge predators are among the most vulnerable.

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