Why is this animal unusual?
Most sharks have five gill slits. This one has six, and the first pair wraps right around its throat like a frilly collar – which is where the name comes from.
Why does it look like that?
Its mouth sits at the very front of its head instead of underneath, and its teeth are tiny tridents arranged in about 25 rows. Anything soft that touches them, like a squid, isn’t getting out again.
Strangest biological feature
Those teeth. They’re bright white against a dark body, and some scientists think that helps lure squid straight into the mouth.
Why is it strange?
Nobody has ever watched one hunt. Researchers suspect it bends its body and lunges forward like a striking snake – it may even be behind some old sea-serpent stories.
Interesting behavioral facts
It’s rarely seen alive. In 2007 a frilled shark turned up in shallow water in Japan and was filmed at a marine park. It died within hours.
Records held
Its family line goes back around 80 million years, which is why it’s often called a living fossil.
