Chlamydoselachus anguineus
frill shark
(Also: frilled shark)

Frilled sharks are wide ranging. They have been found almost worldwide, including the eastern Atlantic coast of northern Norway, the western Indian Ocean near South Africa, the western Pacific near New Zealand, and the eastern Pacific near the coast of Chile. (Compagno, 1984)

Chlamydoselachus anguineus, is found on continental shelves and the nearshore areas of large islands, although they are occasionally reported in open waters. They are mostly benthic and occur at depths from 100 to 1,300 meters. (Taylor et al., 2002)

Frilled sharks, or eel sharks (Taylor et al., 2002), have a long slender body with an elongate tail fin, giving them an eel-like appearance (Compagno, 1984). The body tends to be a chocolate brown color. They have a small dorsal fin located well towards the tail, above the large anal fin, and in front of the highly asymmetric caudal fin. The pectoral fins are short and rounded (Taylor et al., 2002). Chlamydoselachus anguineus has six gill openings (most sharks have five). The first gill is continuous across the throat, while all the gills are surrounded by frilly margins of skin-hence the name "frilled shark." The snout is short and the lower jaw is long. The teeth are alike both on the upper and lower jaws, with three elongate, sharp cusps separated by two intermediate ones (Taylor et al., 2002; Nelson, 1994). Length is usually 2 meters (Miller and Lea, 1972). (Compagno, 1984; Miller and Lea, 1972; Nelson, 1994; Taylor et al., 2002)

Frilled sharks have never been kept in captivity. In the wild it is difficult to determine just how long these fish live. Because they are deep benthic creatures there is little information on lifespan. However, one source (Parker and Parker, 1999) estimates maximum lifespan at 25 years. (Parker and Parker, 1999)

Chlamydoselachus anguineus is a slow-moving, deep water shark. They are among the slowest of shark species (Parker & Parker, 1999). Like most sharks, they are solitary. (Parker and Parker, 1999)

There is very little known about the communication and perception of frilled sharks because they live in deep water and are hard to observe. Based on information from other deep water sharks, they probably use their lateral line and sense of touch to navigate along the contours of the sea bed. Deep water sharks are also sensitive to sounds or long-distance vibrations, and to electrical pulses given off by animal muscles. Also, they have the ability to detect changes in water pressure to tell up from down. (Parker and Parker, 1999)

Because of their sharp, cuspidate teeth, it is thought that their primary foods are small deep-water fishes, and squid (Taylor et al., 2002). Because frilled sharks live on the ocean floor, they may also feed on carrion floating down from the surface (Parker & Parker, 1999). (Parker and Parker, 1999; Taylor et al., 2002)

There are few known predators of frilled sharks. Other sharks are likely predators and humans may take these sharks incidentally as fishing bycatch. Becauses they occupy the benthos, they are sometimes caught during bottom trawling or in nets when they venture near the surface. (Taylor et al., 2002)

Frilled sharks are bottom dwellers and may contribute to removing decomposing carcasses. This carrion floats down from the open waters of the ocean above and comes to rest on the ocean floor. Frilled sharks and other benthic decomposers play an important role in recycling nutrients. (Taylor et al., 2002)

These are not dangerous sharks, but their teeth have lacerated the hands of the unwary scientist and or fisherman examining or holding them. (Compagno, 1984)

When frilled sharks are caught as bycatch during net or long line fishing, they may be ground up for fishmeal and fish food. Frilled sharks are unique and fascinating members of oceanic ecosystems. (Compagno, 1984)

Frilled shark are classified as a near threatened species on the IUCN Red List. There are no current conservation plans for this species (Fowler & Paul). (Fowler and Paul, 2004)

Today, frilled sharks are the only living species in the family Chlamydoselachidae (Sheikh-Miller, 2001). Scientists also believe that, although frilled sharks rarely come to the surface, they could be the cause for sightings of "sea serpents" because of their unusual, snakelike shape (Twist, 2002). (Sheikh-Miller, 2001; Twist, 2002)