Goblin Shark (Sealife by CollectA)

In 1889 fossils of an unusual Mesozoic shark were described. It was named Scapanorhynchus, Greek for “shovel-snout” due to the elongated blade-like snout that jutted out over its face. Nine years later an unusual 42” (107 cm) immature male shark with similar anatomy was caught in Sagami Bay, Japan and formally described as Mitsukurina owstoni, commonly known as the goblin shark in English and the tenguzami in Japanese. It was the sole surviving member of the family Mitsukurinidae which first appeared 146 million years ago and to which Scapanorhynchus also belonged.

Goblin sharks are among the most unusual shark species. Although the sole extant members of their family they are considered basal members of the Lamniforme (mackerel shark) order that includes great whites, thresher sharks, basking sharks, and sandtiger sharks. In addition to the blade-like rostrum their jaws are highly extendable, able to extend out to about the same length as the snout itself. Goblin sharks are deepwater sharks that prefer to live at depths of 270-960 meters, although they can go deeper.

It is thought that the elongated snout is used to detect prey, thanks to the ampullae of Lorenzini spread across its underside. Like how a hammerhead’s cephalofoil works. Goblin sharks are not fast sharks, so it is thought that they rely on ambush to surprise prey. They slowly drift around sensing for prey with the rostrum and once within range, the fast-action extendable jaws grab the prey item. Goblin sharks feed on various fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods.  Although rarely encountered, goblin sharks can be found around the world and are listed as least concern.

For as unusual as goblin sharks are there are very few toys of them, which I’ve always found very odd. Sharks are already popular because of the fear that they induce, a shark that looks like it comes from a David Cronenberg film should be doubly popular, even if they are harmless to humans. The few toys that do exist are all rather small and/or crude. With their extensive selection of shark figures, I always thought Safari Ltd. would be the first to produce a decent goblin shark but CollectA has beaten them to the punch with this one, new for 2023.

The CollectA goblin shark measures 8” (20.32 cm) in length. The actual goblin shark averages about 6.5’ (1.9 meters) but they can reach a maximum size of 20’ (6 meters). Scaled down from the average size the CollectA figure is 1/9 in scale. Scaled down from the maximum length the figure is 1/30 in scale.

The CollectA figure is posed with its mouth open and extended. When the mouth is held flush against the head the goblin shark looks far less sinister, so you usually don’t see it depicted that way. The body is relatively stiff with only the slightest bit of an S curve to the body. I think it looks a bit too stiff and would have preferred a more dynamic, sinuous posture.

CollectA gets the long flattened rostrum correct, as well as the extendable jaws. The teeth are much too large and kind of generic looking if I’m being honest though. In life a goblin shark’s teeth are long, pointed, and narrow with smaller, flattened teeth in the rear of the jaw. Obviously, we must allow for some leeway though, what with this being a toy. CollectA does an admirable job with the teeth otherwise, with two rows of teeth in the upper jaw and three in the lower. The paint application on them is quite good too. Nostrils are positioned on either side of the rostrum and the eyes are appropriately small and beady.

You get the correct number of five gill slits on either side of the head. The body is long and slender, and the caudal fin has a long upper lobe with a ventral notch and no lower lobe. This sort of tail hints at the shark’s generally sluggish lifestyle. The pectoral, dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins are all somewhat small and rounded. The presence of claspers indicates that this figure represents a male.

The figure is painted pale gray and pink with the pink coloration most obvious around the gills, along the flanks, and at the fin bases. The inside of the mouth is pink too, and also nicely textured. The eyes are shiny black, and the teeth are white. Young goblin sharks can be almost white but as they age, they transition to pink and tan.   

The CollectA goblin shark is a long overdue figure of one of the world’s most grotesque, enigmatic, and unusual sharks. My only real criticisms are the oversized teeth and stiffened posture but those are minor nitpicks and the figure is otherwise fantastic. The CollectA goblin shark is a must have in any shark collection. Between this goblin shark, the angel shark, and the basking shark from a couple years ago, CollectA has really stepped up their shark game and I look forward to seeing what obscure species they tackle in the future.