A rare frilled shark turned up in a trawler’s net earlier this month off the coast of Portugal. The five-foot was caught at a depth of approximately 2,300 feet offshore of Portimao.
Live samples of the species, which dates back nearly 8o million years, are incredibly rare due to its deepwater habitat.
The frilled shark has been spotted by underwater surveillance cameras in the North Atlantic Ocean as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.The frilled shark, which is named because of its series of “frills” protruding from its gill slits which help it absorb more oxygen at great depths are unique because of its arrangement of its 300 teeth, “which allows it to trap squid, fish and other sharks in sudden lunges.”
