Author: Jordan, 1898
Remarks:
Mitsukurina is often synonymized with the Upper Cretaceous fossil genus Scapanorhynchus Woodward, 1889, following Woodward (1899), but the two are apparently at least generically distinct (Signeux, 1949; Cappetta, 1980). The type species of Scapanorhynchus, S. lewisi (Davis, 1887) is known from whole-bodied specimens that show many differences from Mitsukurina owstoni. Some palaeontologists (Glikman, 1967; Shelton P. Applegate, pers.comm.) place Scapanorhynchus in a separate family (Scapanorhynchidae) from Mitsukurina, but others (Herman, 1975; Cappetta, 1980) include them both in the Mitsukurinidae. Despite dentitional and other differences, the presence of a greatly expanded, paddlefish-like rostrum in both genera is strongly suggestive of relationship between them.
Following White (1936, 1937), many workers used the family name Scapanorhynchidae for the goblin shark (including Fowler, 1941; Bigelow and Schroeder, 1948; Bass, d'Aubrey and Kistnasamy, 1975b)! but Mitsukurinidae has priority.