Scientists Capture First Live Goblin Shark Footage

For the first time, scientists have recorded live footage of the elusive goblin shark in its natural deep-sea habitat, significantly expanding the known range and depth of this prehistoric-looking predator. The observations, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology, were made in the Central Pacific Ocean in 2019 and 2024.

The first sighting occurred in 2019 near an unnamed seamount northwest of Jarvis Island, where a remotely operated vehicle captured a solitary male shark at a depth of approximately 1,237 meters. The second, and deeper, observation was made in 2024 on the slope of the Tonga Trench. A baited camera filmed an individual at 1,997 meters, extending the species' known maximum depth by nearly 700 meters. This also represents the deepest recorded sighting for any species within the goblin shark's order, Lamniformes, which includes mackerel sharks.

Prior to these discoveries, scientific knowledge of Mitsukurina owstoni came almost exclusively from specimens accidentally caught by fishing gear and brought to the surface, where they quickly perished. No confirmed footage of a living goblin shark in the wild had ever been obtained. Researchers...