Frilled Shark: 80-Million-Year-Old Deep-Sea Survivor Challenges Ocean Science

• The frilled shark, an 80-million-year-old 'living fossil,' remains a poorly understood deep-sea predator despite its ancient lineage.
• Its unique anatomy includes an eel-like body, 6 frilled gill slits, and trident-shaped teeth for gripping slippery prey.
• A top deep-sea predator, it hunts by stealth, consuming squid, fish, and smaller sharks, adapted for low-light conditions.
• Reproduction is ovoviviparous with a slow, uncertain gestation, contributing to its rarity and population vulnerability.
• Scientists warn deep-sea fishing and environmental disruption threaten this ecologically vital species, highlighting its evolutionary stability.

Why It Matters: The ancient frilled shark, a deep-sea enigma, offers insights into evolution but faces modern threats.