Overview
- The Journal of Fish Biology paper, published in June 2026, documents the first confirmed in situ videos of the goblin shark from two separate recordings made in 2019 and 2024.
- One sighting came from archived ROV Hercules footage near an unnamed seamount northwest of Jarvis Island and the other from a baited bottom‑lander on the slope of the Tonga Trench.
- The Tonga Trench record was nearly 700 meters deeper than previous reports and extends the known depth limit for the order Lamniformes.
- Both animals appeared alive and healthy on camera, providing the first direct evidence of natural deep‑sea habitat use rather than observations from surface‑hauled bycatch.
- Researchers say the findings show the value of public video archives and varied deep‑sea platforms and argue the new range data should be used to update regional biodiversity lists and management plans as deep fisheries and seabed activities expand.