Overview
The frilled shark barely looks like a shark at all. Its long, thin, eel-like body wriggles through the dark deep sea, and its head has six frilly gill slits that gave the animal its name. People have called it a living fossil because it looks a lot like sharks that swam the oceans millions of years ago.
This shy hunter almost never comes near the surface, so scientists have only seen it alive a handful of times. Most of what we know comes from frilled sharks that were caught by accident in deep fishing nets. That makes it one of the ocean's most mysterious animals.
| Where it lives | Deep ocean waters worldwide, near the seafloor and along steep slopes |
| Range | Scattered spots in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans |
| Adult size | About 5 to 6.5 ft (1.5 to 2 m) long |
| Diet | Squid, smaller fish, and other sharks |
| Lifespan | Not well known, but thought to be long |
| Depth or habitat | About 400 to 4,200 ft (120 to 1,300 m) down |
| Keep at home? | No, it lives in the deep sea and cannot survive in a tank |
Its weirdest feature
The frilled shark has around 300 teeth lined up in about 25 rows, and each tooth splits into three sharp points like a tiny trident. Those backward-curving teeth work like a net of hooks, so once prey is caught it is very hard to escape.
Surviving the dark deep
Down where the frilled shark lives there is very little food, so it saves energy by moving slowly and rarely. Scientists think it may lunge forward suddenly, bending its snake-like body like a spring to snap up prey before the prey even knows it is there.
How it hunts
The frilled shark mostly eats squid, along with small fish and even other sharks. It can open its jaws very wide and swallow prey up to half its own length whole, which is handy when meals are rare in the deep.
Life in the deep sea
This shark lives in cold, pitch-black water under enormous pressure, often near the seafloor. Females carry their babies inside their bodies for a very long time before giving birth to live pups, and that pregnancy may be one of the longest of any animal.
An amazing fact
Because the frilled shark looks so much like ancient sharks, it is sometimes said to be the inspiration behind old sailor stories about sea serpents. Whether or not that is true, its long ribbony body really does look like a monster from a legend.
Fun facts
- It has six pairs of frilly gill slits, while most sharks have only five.
- Its roughly 300 teeth each have three needle-sharp points.
- It can swallow prey up to half as long as its own body.
- It is called a living fossil because it resembles ancient sharks.
- Its pregnancy may last a very long time, possibly over a year.
Frequently asked questions
Is the frilled shark dangerous to people?
Not really. It lives so deep that swimmers and divers almost never meet one, and it is far more interested in squid than in humans.
Why does it look like a snake or eel?
Its body is long, thin, and flexible instead of the torpedo shape most sharks have. That shape helps it bend and lunge to grab prey in the deep.
Can you keep a frilled shark in a tank?
No. It is built for the cold, high-pressure deep sea, and it does not survive when brought up to the surface.
Why do we know so little about it?
It lives in remote deep water and is rarely seen alive, so most sightings come from deep fishing nets or washed-up bodies.
