Shocking Photo: Ugly monster shark caught by a Fisher man

A fishing crew off the coast of Florida was shocked to find among their shrimp a rare bottom-dwelling monster known as a goblin shark.

Not much is known about the prehistoric-looking species beyond the fact that it is hideously ugly, with a protruding toothy jaw hidden beneath an elongated, pointed snout.

Fisherman Carl Moore told the Houston Chronicle he didn't even know what the 18-foot-long, bright-pink creature was when it dropped out of the shrimp net and began writhing on the deck.

"I didn't get the tape measure out because that thing's got some wicked teeth -- they could do some damage," he said.

An expert from the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said it was just the second time a goblin shark has turned up in the Gulf of Mexico.

And it's still out there: The shrimpers snapped photos with their cellphones and released the beast.