Overview
- The Journal of Fish Biology paper published Friday reports the first confirmed in situ videos of the goblin shark, based on two separate recordings that researchers have peer reviewed and verified.
- One sighting came from reanalysis of 2019 ROV footage near a seamount northwest of Jarvis Island and the other from a 2024 baited bottom‑lander on the Tonga Trench slope, showing the finds came from archived and new expedition cameras.
- The Tonga Trench observation extended the goblin shark’s known depth by about 700 meters and set a new depth record for the order Lamniformes, shifting what scientists thought were its vertical limits.
- Both brief clips show animals swimming and appearing healthy in place, giving fresh natural‑history data about habitat use that were previously missing because live specimens were only seen when hauled to the surface by fisheries.
- Researchers say the discoveries underline the value of archived ROV and baited‑camera data and mean the species can now be considered in regional biodiversity lists and management as deep‑water fishing and seabed activities expand.