Overview
- A June 2026 peer‑reviewed paper confirms two independent in‑situ videos of live goblin sharks: archived ROV footage from a 2019 dive northwest of Jarvis Island and a 2024 baited‑camera recording on the Tonga Trench.
- The Tonga Trench clip was captured after more than 50 days of continuous filming at about 1,997 metres, extending the species' known depth by nearly 700 metres.
- Researchers describe the shark's distinctive anatomy: a long snout covered in electro-sensing cells and an extendable jaw that can 'slingshot' forward to capture prey.
- The two sightings show the species occurs farther across the Central Pacific than previously known and have prompted calls to update national biodiversity inventories and seabed management plans.
- Scientists say the discoveries highlight the value of long deployments, baited cameras and reusing archival footage and they recommend more targeted deep‑sea surveys as human activity on the seabed grows.