Peer-Reviewed Study Confirms Two Live Goblin-Shark Sightings in Central Pacific

Scientists have captured and confirmed footage of the goblin shark in the wild for the first time, according to a study published June 12, 2026, in the Journal of Fish Biology. The goblin shark, or Mitsukurina owstoni, is the last representative of the ancient shark family Mitsukurinidae that traces back about 125 million years. Researchers often refer to the species as living fossils.

Aaron Judah, a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and lead author of the study, said the shark is known for its unique jaws that can slingshot out to grab prey and its enormous rostrum covered in Ampullae of Lorenzini. These specialized sensory organs allow the animal to detect prey in the dark.

The species can grow to about 10 to 12 feet and appears almost ghostly white or pinkish.

The study confirmed two separate sightings. 7-square-mile coral island in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The sighting occurred about three-quarters of a mile below the surface.

Steve Auscavitch, a PhD scientist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History who was on board the vessel, said researchers had no identification for the animal at the time. The lights and noise from the ROV scared the shark away after a brief glimpse. Judah later learned of the footage through other marine researchers.

He said he was shocked because the species had not been known from the Central Pacific, representing an enormous range extension. In 2024, baited camera footage captured another goblin shark along the slope of the Tonga Trench, about 1,250 miles southwest of Jarvis Island. Judah said this was the first time scientists observed the species living on trench slopes.