Prehistoric shark found in Japan

shark found by Japanese scientists
film clip from Awashima Marine Park

The staff of a Japanese aquarium took pictures of a rare frilled shark on Sunday, after it was discovered by local residents at Awashima Port in Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo.

This prehistoric shark is rarely seen alive as its natural habitat lies up to 1,280 metres (4,200 feet) deep under the sea.

Experts at the Awashima Marine Park were able to examine the creature, which was a female, and film it swimming around.

Unfortunately though it died a couple of hours after it was moved to its new environment.

The eel-looking shark, with its mouth full of 300 trident-shaped teeth, measured 5.3 feet-long and weighed 16.5 pounds.

Frilled sharks normally inhabit deep sea waters between 400 and 4,200 feet and rarely come to the surface.

However they have been seen near the coast of Japan before, especially during the winter time when the water temperature drops and they have to get to warmer areas to feed.

Frilled sharks can grow to a length of nearly 6.5 feet and eat deep-sea squids and other soft-bodied preys.

Most specimen are found in the Japanese waters.

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• prehistoric
• shark
• japanese
• marine