Have you ever seen a living prehistoric creature? If not, this video is going to be a treat! An exceedingly rare frilled shark – which many people associate to the Mesozoic era, surfaced near Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka Japan in January 2007.
Frilled sharks are often referred to as a living fossil because they are a primitive species that have changed very little since prehistoric times. This deep sea dweller lives particular between 600 and 1,000 meters below the surface and rarely swims in shallow waters.
This female shark was supposedly sick at the time of its capture and it died shortly after being placed in the park’s saltwater pool. Park staff thinks it may have come close to the surface because it was sick, or else it was weakened because it was in shallow waters. When they come up to the surface, it’s usually because they don’t have long to live.
Final Note: the shark in the video was not captured, it was just filmed!
Watch this fascinating creature in the video below and please leave us a Facebook comment to let us know what you thought!
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