The frilled shark is a deep-water shark species, often referred to as a “living fossil” due to its primitive appearance. Its unique shape is characterized by a long, slender, eel-like body. This creature is rarely seen by humans, making its appearance striking when encountered. Despite its serpentine form, it is classified as a shark.
A Glimpse into Prehistory
The frilled shark’s physical characteristics offer a direct link to ancient marine life. Its body is long and dark brown, reaching lengths of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet). Unlike most sharks, its mouth is located at the very front of its rounded snout, rather than underneath. The most striking feature, and the source of its name, is the six pairs of gill slits that possess a distinctive “frilly” or ruffled appearance. These gills wrap around its throat, resembling a collar.
These specific traits classify the frilled shark as a “living fossil,” as it retains many primitive features from ancestors that swam the oceans millions of years ago. Nevertheless, its anatomy showcases a remarkable evolutionary stability, providing insights into early shark forms.
Life in the Deep Ocean
This shark inhabits the deep ocean. It is found near the seafloor, specifically along the outer continental shelf and the upper continental slope. The frilled shark resides at depths between 120 and 1,280 meters (390 to 4,200 feet), though it has been recorded as deep as 1,570 meters (5,150 feet).
Its distribution is widespread but patchy across the globe. Specimens have been observed in the eastern Atlantic, stretching from northern Norway down to Namibia, and in the western Atlantic off New England and Georgia. In the Pacific Ocean, its presence ranges from Japan south to New Zealand and Australia, and across to Hawaii, California, and northern Chile. This broad spread highlights its adaptation to the pressures and cold temperatures of its deep-sea environment.
The Serpent Strike
The frilled shark is an active predator, employing a unique hunting strategy. Its diet primarily consists of soft-bodied animals, with squid making up a significant portion, along with bony fish and other sharks. Scientists often find squid beaks in their stomach contents, providing direct evidence of their preferred prey.
This shark is an ambush predator, using its flexible, eel-like body to execute a sudden, snake-like lunge at prey. Its jaw is flexible, allowing it to open wide and swallow prey that can be up to half its own body length. The frilled shark possesses approximately 300 needle-like teeth, arranged in multiple rows. These teeth are slender, trident-shaped, and curve backward, adapted for ensnaring slippery prey, making escape nearly impossible once caught.