Rare 'living fossil' frilled shark filmed alive for first time

The frilled shark, a species dating back to the age of dinosaurs, has been observed alive in its natural deep-sea habitat for the first time. Previously, these elusive creatures were only known from dead specimens caught by fishing lines.

Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Western Australia successfully filmed the shark in two separate locations in the Pacific Ocean. One sighting occurred near Jarvis Island in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and another took place in the Tonga Trench in the southwestern Pacific.

Known as a "living fossil," the frilled shark is the sole surviving species of an ancient lineage that emerged around 125 million years ago. Its unique appearance, with a mouth that extends forward from its head, allows it to snatch prey. "This shark is almost like a mythical creature," said Professor Alistair Jameson of the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre.

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This shark is almost like a mythical creature.

The first footage was captured in 2019 near Jarvis Island during an expedition by the research team. After reviewing extensive video recordings, they identified the frilled shark near an underwater mountain northwest of the island. The second observation occurred in 2024 during an expedition in the Tonga Trench, where a camera installed on the seabed recorded the shark.

These new observations suggest that frilled sharks inhabit a wider range and deeper waters than previously understood. While known to inhabit areas off the coasts of the US and Australia, as well as parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, both recent sightings were in the central Pacific, in areas where their presence was not previously documented. The Tonga Trench observation, at a depth of 2,000 meters, also extends the known depth range for the order Lamniformes, which includes species like the great white shark, by about 100 meters.

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I didn't think we would ever get to see a frilled shark alive. It's that iconic of a deep-sea animal.