Southern frilled shark

Frilled sharks are deepwater specialists with an unmistakably old-looking silhouette: long body, wide mouth, and ruffled gills. They are among the least likely sharks to be seen alive by ordinary coastal observers. Frilled sharks look eel-like, with a long body, terminal mouth, many tricuspid teeth, and the first gill slits forming a frilled collar behind the head. Frilled sharks have patchy records in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, usually tied to deep continental slope and seamount environments. Some species appear to have more restricted regional distributions than the family as a whole.

They occupy deepwater habitats from outer shelf breaks to continental slopes and rises, rarely entering shallow coastal settings.

Why it matters: The frilled gill openings give this ancient-looking shark one of the most unusual head profiles in the group.