The frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is a rare, deep-sea species known for its eel-like body, prehistoric appearance, and distinctive frilled gill slits. Found at depths ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters, it inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, particularly near the coasts of Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe and Africa. Frilled sharks are not typically targeted by commercial fisheries due to their rarity and deep-water habitat, but they are occasionally caught as bycatch in deep-sea trawl and longline fisheries. Japan is the country most associated with frilled shark landings, where the species has been recorded in local fish markets and used for fishmeal, animal feed, and sometimes human consumption. Other countries such as Portugal, Spain, and New Zealand also report incidental catches, but overall, the frilled shark remains an uncommon and little-exploited species in the global fishing industry.
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Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.