125-Million-Year-Old Never-Before-Seen Terrifying Shark Captured on Camera

While exploring the secrets of the deep sea, scientists for the first time captured a rare goblin sharkswimming in its natural habitat. Expertsstate that this species was previously only observed alive after being caught in fishing nets and brought to the surface.

Researchers recorded two goblin sharks. One was filmed near Jarvis Island in the southern Pacific Ocean, and the second in the Tonga Trench. The specimen in the Tonga region, in particular, swimming at a depth of nearly 1997 meters amazed scientists. This is considered one of the greatest depths ever recorded for this species.

The goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) differs sharply from other sharks in its appearance. Its long snout and protruding jaws allow it to instantly catch its prey. Experts call this species a "living fossil" because it has existed on Earth for approximately 125 million years .

Alan Jamieson, co-author of the study and head of the Deep-Sea Research Centre at the University of Western Australia, said he never imagined this shark would be filmed alive in its natural habitat.

"During the expedition, we conducted continuous observations for over 50 days at depths ranging from 800 meters to 10,800 meters. Despite this, the goblin shark appeared on camera for just over 20 seconds. This proves once again how rare of a creature it is," the scientist said.

According to experts, the goblin shark lives in various regions of the world's oceans. However, because they live at very great depths, information about this species remains very limited. Previously, goblin sharks had been reported in parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as near the west coast of the USA, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan.