Frilled Shark (Chlamysoselachus anguineus).
Illustration: R. Aidan Martin
Frilled sharks, a long, skinny shark that look like an eel, are among the oldest living species of sharks. Fossil evidence frilled sharks date to 95 million years ago. Some paleontologists suggest it is a living cladodont shark, a shark that existed as long ago as 380 million years.
Frilled sharks are so unusual that the 2 known species known are placed by some biologists in their own order (as we do, here). Historically, Frilled sharks have been considered a Family within the order of Hexanchiformes, or Cow sharks. Frilled sharks have a long, thin body followed by a long tail fin. It has six gill slits which are covered with the frilly skin that gives it its name.
Characteristics of Frilled Sharks, Order Chlamydoselachiformes
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# of Species
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2
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Body shape
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Long, thin, eel-like. Grows to 6.5 feet
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Mouth position
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Terminal mouth (mouth at the front), blunt snout
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Anal fin
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Yes
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Dorsal Fin
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1, far to the back of the shark
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Fin spines
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No
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# of Gill slits
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6. Gills covered with frilly collars
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Reproduction
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Viviparous, giving birth to 8 to 12 live young at a time.
Gestation is long, although it is not known how long, with estimates running from 1 to as long as 3.5 years!
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Unique qualities
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Eel-like shape; 3-cusped teeth; frilly growth on gills
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Habitat
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Deep marine waters, from 200 to 4,200 feet deep. Most Frilled sharks are found in waters around Japan, but are known in the Eastern Pacific, Eastern Atlantic and Indian Oceans. A newly identified species is in waters around Africa.
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Food
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Mostly deep sea squid bony fish
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The 2 Species of Frilled Sharks
Red indicates inclusion on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
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Family Chlamydoselachidae - Frilled Shark
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Genus Chlamydoselachus
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Species
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Common name
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Chlamydoselachus anguineus
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Frilled Shark
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Chlamydoselachus sp. A
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Southern African Frilled Shark
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