The Frilled Shark’s Body Is Built More Like a Snake Than a Shark

This shark undulates like a serpent instead of slicing like a torpedo.

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Its scientific name, Chlamydoselachus anguineus, references its frilled gills and snake-like form.

With its elongated, eel-like body and reduced fins, the frilled shark moves through water using undulating motions rather than the powerful tail-driven thrust seen in most sharks. This body plan allows slow, stealthy navigation in deep-sea habitats.

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The serpentine movement is energy-efficient, a crucial adaptation in an ecosystem where calories are scarce and long-distance chases are unsustainable. Its flexibility also enables sudden lunges in confined, dark spaces.

Such an unconventional design blurs the visual boundary between shark and eel, challenging common perceptions of what defines a shark’s silhouette. Evolution in extreme environments often discards expectations entirely.

Source

Encyclopaedia Britannica

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