A massive pre-historic goblin shark pregnant with pups was caught off the coast of Taiwan on Tuesday.

The deep sea-dwelling creature, dubbed a 'living fossil' by scientists, was captured in a trawling net by fishermen from the Nanfang'ao Fishing Port in Yilan County on June 13.

They hauled the monstrous-looking animal ashore and discovered it had been carrying six pups.

The shark measured 4.7 metres and weighed 800 kilograms, and is said to be the largest goblin shark to have been caught in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum said the fishermen had originally planned to sell the rare animal to be consumed at a restaurant, but agreed to sell it to the museum instead for educational purposes.

The organisation said: 'After fishermen brought it ashore, the shark was almost purchased by a restaurant for food. After fighting for it, the Taiwan Ocean Art Museum bought it to be used in marine education. It is expected to be exhibited in the Taiwan Ocean Art Museum in the future.'

Locals and marine conservationists have criticised the fishermen for bottom trawling, where fishers scrape the bottom of the sea, potentially destroying ocean habitats and producing bycatch.

The goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni, is a rare species of bottom-dwelling shark. It is so-called due to its bizarre appearance, with a long flat snout, extendible jaws, and fang-like teeth bearing resemblance to the fairytale creature.

The shark has been called a 'living fossil', being the only living representative of the family Mitsukurinidae dating back 125 million years.