The underwater kingdom is rich in amazing creatures, which are often terrifying for their appearance and habits. Among these terrifying inhabitants of the depths is the shark-brownie, which is also called the "goblin" or "gargoyle." The first time it was discovered in the depths of the sea one hundred and ten years ago. In Japan, a strange creature a hundred and six centimeters long was caught by fishermen in the area of the sea depression near Yokohama. This male amazed people with a peculiar look that does not resemble any of the fish known in those days. He was called "tengu-zama" or "brownie" (translation from Japanese). Then, for the first time, the sea monster was given the Latin name Mitsukurina owstoni, by which it is known in the works of scientists and specialists in the study of marine animals and fish.
Shark-brownie (photo) has a heavy massive body, a long fin on the tail, an elongated and flattened snout, wedge-shaped from a side view. The retractable type of jaw is equipped with needle-like sharp teeth. The anal fin is significantly larger than the dorsal. When the jaw moves forward, it resembles a beak. Small bead-shaped eyes are black, the body is covered with transparent skin, through it you can see the circulatory system - blood vessels. For a long time, professionals studying a creature such as a shark-brownie were convinced that her body color was exceptionally dull with brown and gray hues. However, in the 76th year of the last century, Japanese experts made and published in the media a photo of a dead shark of this species. In the picture, pink body tones, fins with a blue trim are clearly visible.
For many years, the shark-brownie bore its name due to the inability to be detected and caught. In general, for the period until the third year of this century, only forty-five successful shark captures are known. It was even listed on the Red Book as a rare species. But unexpectedly in April of that year, one hundred individuals of this little-studied fish were caught off the coast of the island of Taiwan. The catch consisted mainly of males that got into the net, being at a depth of about six hundred meters. Of particular value were the jaws of sharks, which were soon sold for big money (several thousand dollars). Currently, the average body size of the male is known, while the length of the female’s body remains a mystery.
Presumably, the house-shark (female) is capable of growing up to six meters long, it is somewhat larger than the male. It should be noted that at present there is no exact data on the female fish, since pregnant females have never been in the networks of anglers. The method of breeding these sharks also requires additional study, since scientists only make certain assumptions that are not sufficiently supported by reliable facts. There is a version that such fish reproduce by the method of egg formation in the abdominal cavity of females, after which young animals grow up and are born. According to many scientists, babies who are strong by nature, even inside the mother, destroy weak individuals, which explains the birth of a small number of strong fish. Specialists are working to identify which sharks are found in the Black Sea. In particular, the habitat forms a specific species. Samples such as scyllium (cat
shark), katran and spiny shark are known.