Scientists have captured and confirmed footage of the goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni), a rare deep-sea species, in its natural habitat for the first time. The findings, published in the Journal of Fish Biology, detail two separate sightings of the elusive shark, which is often referred to as a "living fossil" due to its ancient lineage dating back about 125 million years.
The goblin shark is known for its unique physical features, including a protruding rostrum (nose) and specialized sensory organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini, which allow it to detect electrical signals from prey in the dark. The shark can grow up to 10 to 12 feet and has a ghostly white or pinkish coloration, unusual for most sharks.
The first sighting occurred in 2019 near Jarvis Island in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, captured by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from the EV Nautilus, a research vessel operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The second sighting was recorded in the Tonga Trench, the second-deepest point on Earth, by marine biologist Alan Jamieson using a remote, baited camera. Researchers noted that the shark was observed at depths nearly 700 meters deeper than previously known for the species.
Aaron Judah, a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and lead author of the study, described the discovery as a "unique honor." Steve Auscavitch, a scientist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, who was on board the research vessel during the 2019 sighting, recalled the initial confusion over the shark's identity. "At the time, no one on board really knew the significance of what we had just seen," he said.
The study highlights the importance of deep-sea exploration and the need for further research to understand the behavior and habitat of the goblin shark, which has remained largely mysterious since its discovery over 100 years ago.