Deep-sea vehicles spot ‘alien’ sharks deep beneath the waves in the Pacific
Goblin sharks have never before been filmed in their natural habitat
By Jake Buehler | 11 Jun 2026
In July 2019, a remotely operated vehicle filmed an unusual creature 2 kilometers below the waves near Jarvis Island in the central Pacific Ocean. Three meters long with pink and gray skin, jaws that can snap outward in a flash, and a comically elongated snout, the animal leisurely glid along the sea floor. Five years later, researchers spotted the same species near Tonga.
Both were goblin sharks (Mitsukurina owstoni), an odd and poorly understood animal that had never been filmed in its deep-sea home, the team behind analyzing both sightings reported last month in the Journal of Fish Biology.
Goblin sharks are one of the world’s most rarely encountered species of shark; the only surviving member of an ancient lineage. Aside from their unusual appearance, they are also odd hunters, using their extendable jaws and stabbing teeth to capture fish. The jaws sling forward from their skull at more than 3 meters per second, faster than any other shark’s bite.
The footage—which went unanalyzed for years—provides key insights into the behavior and ecology of these mysterious sharks. The recordings show that the species ranges out into the middle of the Pacific much farther than previously known—by thousands of kilometers. The Tonga shark was also filmed nearly 2000 meters down, 50% deeper than the previous record for the species.
The videos confirm goblin sharks use ocean habitats such as underwater mountain peaks, which can be adversely affected by fisheries and mining. Determining precisely where these creatures lurk in the abyss is the first step toward knowing how to protect them, the scientists say.
doi: 10.1126/science.z98rzmy
