The
frilled shark (
Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is one of two
extant species of
shark in the
family Chlamydoselachidae, with a wide but patchy distribution in the
Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. This species is found over the outer
continental shelf and upper
continental slope, generally near the bottom, though there is evidence of substantial upward movements. It has been caught as deep as , although it is uncommon below . In
Suruga Bay,
Japan, it is most common at depths of . Exhibiting several "primitive" features, the frilled shark has often been termed a "
living fossil". It reaches a length of and has a dark brown,
eel-like body with the
dorsal,
pelvic, and
anal fins placed far back. Its
common name comes from the frilly or fringed appearance of its six pairs of
gill slits, with the first pair meeting across the throat.