Terrifying Deep-Sea Predator With a “Snake-Like Head” Resurfaces After 80 Million Years—Scientists Stunned! – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel
A deep-sea predator from the age of dinosaurs has just resurfaced off the coast of Portugal. With a serpent-like body and hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, it has barely changed in 80 million years. Pulled from 700 meters below, this eerie creature remains a mystery to science. Scientists have made a rare discovery off the coast of Portugal, where a frilled shark, a species that has remained nearly unchanged for 80 million years, was accidentally caught in a commercial fishing operation. With its serpentine body, articulated jaw, and 300 needle-like teeth, this elusive predator offers a glimpse into the deep ocean’s most mysterious inhabitants.The frilled shark was pulled up from 700 meters below the surface during a European Union-funded research project aimed at reducing accidental bycatch. This deep-sea predator, measuring 1.5 meters, is considered a “living fossil” due to its minimal evolutionary changes since the time of the dinosaurs.Named for the gill structures resembling frills around its throat, the shark has a slender, eel-like body that allows it to move with stealth in the ocean’s depths. It primarily hunts fish and squid, using its rows of backward-facing teeth to trap prey that has little chance of escaping.Despite its global range, the frilled shark is rarely observed in its natural habitat, as it typically resides between 500 and 1,000 meters beneath the surface. Scientists still know very little about its population size, behavior, or long-term survival prospects.One of the few instances where a live frilled shark was captured occurred in Australia in 2007, but the specimen did not survive long after being brought to the surface. Researchers believe that these sharks only come up due to injury, illness, or environmental disturbances, making such encounters extremely rare.Frilled Shark in his natural habitat 🦈 pic.twitter.com/ZsRMwQYzbZUnlike modern sharks, which rely on powerful, rapid attacks, the frilled shark is believed to use an ambush strategy, lunging at unsuspecting prey in the darkness of the deep sea. Its extremely flexible jaw allows it to swallow large fish whole, while its slender body enables it to navigate tight spaces where prey may hide.Another unusual trait is its reproductive cycle—scientists estimate that frilled sharks have one of the longest gestation periods of any vertebrate, lasting up to 3.5 years. A female can give birth to 2 to 15 offspring, but such a slow reproductive process makes the species vulnerable to environmental changes.The frilled shark is not currently classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but increased deep-sea fishing activities raise concerns about accidental catches. Since these sharks reproduce slowly and inhabit unexplored regions of the ocean, researchers warn that they may be more fragile than previously thought.This latest discovery underscores the need for continued deep-sea research. The world’s oceans remain largely unexplored, and creatures like the frilled shark remind us that Earth still holds secrets from a prehistoric past. But with growing human activity in the deep sea, how much longer will these ancient predators continue to thrive?This article appeared on Nationalgeographic.Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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