For decades, the goblin shark had mainly been observed alive after being caught and brought to the surface. But now scientists have published the first images of specimens swimming freely in their natural habitat. 🦈
In 2024, a baited camera installed on the slope of the Tonga Trench recorded one at a depth of 1.997 meters, nearly 700 meters deeper than what was known for the species. During an expedition that accumulated more than 50 days of underwater recordings, the elusive animal appeared in front of the camera for barely 20 seconds.
And there was another surprise: while investigating earlier records, scientists confirmed that another specimen had already been filmed in 2019 near Jarvis Island, but the images remained in the archives for years without what they showed being officially recognized.
The goblin shark is the only living representative of a lineage nearly 125 million years old and continues to be one of the most mysterious inhabitants of the ocean depths. 👀