'Alien sharks' filmed for the first time ever by researchers in their natural habitat
A rare species of shark described as 'ridiculously horrendous' and alien-like has been captured on camera for the first time.
Anyone even the remotest bit familiar with the ocean knows there are some seriously unique, unusual and downright ugly-looking critters lurking in its depths, which anyone who's viewed those underwater GoPro videos can attest to.
Add in the fact that mankind has seen less than five percent of the ocean, NOAA predicts that we've seen less than 0.001 percent of the deep ocean floor, and it's pretty safe to say that many more weird and wonderful creatures exist under the sea.
Every now and again, these animals will show themselves to us, with research recently published by the Journal of Fish Biology revealing that scientists were recently able to capture footage of the goblin shark for the first time.
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These sightings, which happened near Jarvis Island in 2019 and in the Tonga Trench in 2024, are a rare occurrence for the species, with paper author Professor Alan Jamieson revealing they have only previously been seen when accidentally caught on a fishing line.
The captured footage also tells us more about the sharks' chosen habitats, with the creatures now being documented further and deeper into the Pacific Ocean than ever before.
"They’ve captured the imagination of so many people, but we’ve never really seen them alive," he said of the research (via The Guardian). "We actually know virtually nothing about them."
He added: "It’s a classic case of a deep-sea animal that has very low abundance, but an absolutely massive geographical range."
What are goblin sharks?
Goblin sharks live at the bottom of oceans and can grow as big as 12 feet long and weigh as much as 460 pounds.
The species is considered to be ancient, with the animal's lineage going back 125 million years and are referred to as 'living fossils', according to ABC News.
These sharks have a distinct appearance, with a pale grey or pink colour, with jaws which can stretch inches outside of their mouths and sling forward as far as three meters per second to catch prey. Which is pretty terrifying.
As for the name, it is inspired by Japanese mythology, with goblin sharks being a translation of 'tenguzame'. In Japanese mythology, a tengu is a creature depicted with a long nose and red face.
When it comes to the appearance of the sharks, researchers didn't hold back, describing them as 'arguably the ugliest shark on the planet'.
"They are ridiculously horrendous to look at," Professor Culum Brown added. "Not even their mother would love their faces."
Fortunately for the goblin sharks, they live underwater won't ever hear the professor's scathing comments about their appearance...
Topics: Animals, World News, Environment, Sharks
Brenna Cooper