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Frilled Shark

With its eel-like body and needle-sharp teeth, the elusive frilled shark is one of the ocean’s most mysterious predators — and one of the most primitive living shark species. 

 

Frilled sharks have long, slender bodies and can grow up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length. Chocolate brown in color, their most distinctive feature is their gill slits — six pairs of gills surrounded by frilly skin that gives the species its name.  

These sharks inhabit deep waters, down to 1,520 meters (5,000 feet) in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Because they live so deep in the ocean, they are rarely seen and not much is known about their behavior. However, it is thought that they likely prey on small fish and squid. They may also eat carrion floating down from the ocean surface. 

 

 

Frilled sharks are rarely encountered by humans, and little is known about their population numbers or the threats they may face. They are occasionally caught accidentally by fisheries, but the species population is currently considered stable and of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, but no data is currently available on population size, trends, or structure. 

 

 

Though populations are stable, it doesn’t mean frilled sharks are safe from human-made threats. By ensuring responsible fishing and protecting ocean habitat, we can protect these ancient animals. Learn more about Oceana’s work to stop overfishing and promote responsible fisheries here. 

 

 

 

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