One of the ugliest creatures on the planet has, unfortunately, been filmed in its natural deep-sea habitat for the first time. It’s an incredible scientific achievement and a landmark moment for marine biology. But it also means we’ve gotten a good, high-definition look at the goblin shark’s face.
According to a new study published in the Journal of Fish Biology, researchers captured footage of two live goblin sharks swimming in the deep Pacific Ocean. One was found near Jarvis Island in 2019, and another near the Tonga Trench in 2024.
The goblin shark looks like the movie villain you thought died in a fiery explosion, only to watch them emerge from the flames with half their face melted off. With its pink-gray skin, elongated snout, and nightmareish jaws filled with a jagged set of thin, sharp teeth that look more like needles than teeth, it doesn’t get much weirder. Its name is quite apt, as it looks like some kind of marine offshoot of a fantastical goblin.
The Goblin Shark’s Freaky Jaw Is Even Freakier in Person
The footage, while brief (one of them only lasted 20 seconds), revealed some fascinating insights. For instance, the goblin shark’s jaw not only looks horrifying but also has a horrifying function: it can launch forward to snatch up prey. But deep beneath the sea, in its natural habitat, it keeps its jaw retracted most of the time, giving its body a sleek look with a nondescript mouth, making it look almost no different from any other shark, other than the large, sword-like snout.
The finding itself is significant since scientists don’t really know much about the species. Live observations usually come from fishing boats that accidentally ensnare them in nets. This new footage has helped scientists extend their range by thousands of miles and much deeper below the surface than previously known. This means that the goblin shark might be more widespread throughout the Pacific than once thought.
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