James RickardMore weird fish--the Frill Shark
December 9th 2008 21:28
Here's some info about a weird shark I saw on TV the other night. I don't know why it took so long for me to hear about it because this animal, the Frill Shark, was spotted back in January of 2007.
With the head of a shark and body of a serpent, the nearly five and a half foot (160 cm.) animal was spotted by fishermen off the coast of Japan and transferred to a marine park where it lived for a few hours before expiring.
Despite its brief brush with humanity, valuable information was learned about the Frill Shark since little is known about the creature because they live at depths of over 2000 feet (greater than 600 meters!). It's believed this one may have already been sick or in a weakened state.
Scientists believe Frill Sharks have changed little since prehistoric times and are distant relatives of extinct species of that era.
Although some may question the creature's classification as a shark, one qualifying feature is the Frill Shark's upper jaw that is part of its skull. Sharks usually have hinged top jaws. Also, take note of the gill slits along its side. This is another feature often found in sharks although they usually have five and the Frill Shark has six.
National Geographic had a nice report about this finding and you can read about it here.
Here's a good clip from YouTube featuring this amazing creature.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
With the head of a shark and body of a serpent, the nearly five and a half foot (160 cm.) animal was spotted by fishermen off the coast of Japan and transferred to a marine park where it lived for a few hours before expiring.
Despite its brief brush with humanity, valuable information was learned about the Frill Shark since little is known about the creature because they live at depths of over 2000 feet (greater than 600 meters!). It's believed this one may have already been sick or in a weakened state.
Scientists believe Frill Sharks have changed little since prehistoric times and are distant relatives of extinct species of that era.
Although some may question the creature's classification as a shark, one qualifying feature is the Frill Shark's upper jaw that is part of its skull. Sharks usually have hinged top jaws. Also, take note of the gill slits along its side. This is another feature often found in sharks although they usually have five and the Frill Shark has six.
National Geographic had a nice report about this finding and you can read about it here.
Here's a good clip from YouTube featuring this amazing creature.
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
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