Carl Moore, 63, a Georgia shrimper caught a rare goblin shark off the coast of Key West, Fla., on April 19.

Rare Goblin Shark Caught By Shrimper

The goblin shark is extremely rare, and its frightful appearance is more than enough to put off anybody lucky or unlucky enough to lay eyes on it. The goblin shark caught by Moore was estimated to be at least 18 feet long by the fisherman, though experts say this might be a slight exaggeration, as the largest goblin shark ever measured clocked in at 18 feet.

“When it came up, I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t measure him because his head was slashing around, and he had some mean-looking teeth and I didn’t want to get caught up in those,” Moore told NBC News.

After snapping a quick photo, Moore released the live shark back into the ocean.

“The first thing I told them boys was, ‘Man, he’s ugly! Looks prehistoric to me,” said Moore.

In fact, Moore isn’t so far off. Goblin sharks have only been glimpsed sporadically, and sightings normally occur near Japan. Goblin sharks are believed to live in deep waters, with Discovery listing their home at 4,265 feet below the surface, which explains their public appearances.

“We know little about [goblin sharks] – how long they live, how fast they grow,” said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research biologist John Carson.

What is known is that goblin sharks live on a diet of crabs, shrimps and deep-sea fishes that they eat with long, needle-like teeth. The shark has been featured on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week as one of the ‘Alien Sharks.’