Key facts
- The first live observations of the rare goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) in its natural deep ocean habitat have been reported.
- Previous sightings of live goblin sharks were only after they were caught on fishing lines and brought to the surface.
- One sighting occurred on a seamount near Jarvis Island, and another on the slope of the Tonga Trench.
- The goblin shark is the sole living representative of its family, a lineage dating back approximately 125 million years, earning it the nickname 'living fossil'.
- These observations significantly extend the known depth and geographic range of the species.
The first live observations of the rare goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) in its natural deep ocean habitat have been documented by a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa-led team of oceanographers. The findings, published in the Journal of Fish Biology, significantly extend the known depth and geographic range of this elusive species, sometimes referred to as a 'living fossil' due to its ancient lineage dating back approximately 125 million years.
Previously, live goblin sharks were only observed after being caught on fishing lines and brought to the surface, where they would soon die. The new study reports two distinct live sightings. The first occurred in 2019 during an Ocean Exploration Trust expedition aboard the E/V Nautilus, where footage captured by the remotely-operated vehicle Hercules on an unnamed seamount northwest of Jarvis Island confirmed a goblin shark at a depth of 1,237 meters. This sighting was initially overlooked but later confirmed by lead author Aaron Judah through archived footage.
The second observation was made in 2024 during the Inkfish Open Ocean Expedition aboard the R/V Dagon, exploring the Tonga Trench. A baited camera on a bottom lander captured footage of a goblin shark at a depth of 1,997 meters. This depth is nearly 700 meters deeper than the species was previously known to inhabit, setting a new depth record for the entire order of Lamniformes, which includes mackerel sharks like the white shark and mako shark.
These findings are particularly significant as they place the goblin shark in the Central Pacific, extending its known geographic range beyond previous documented areas off the western U.S., Australia, and Japan in the Pacific, and narrow regions in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Researchers noted that the Tonga Trench sighting was brief, lasting only about 20 seconds, highlighting the species' elusiveness.