[moonfire (OP)]

Shizouka, Japan) - The staff of a Japanese aquarium was able to take rare pictures of a 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 4,200 feet 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, 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 about 16.5 lbs.

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 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.

James Gilbert

[Karen W.]

WOW  THAT IS SAD THAT IT DIED. Why were they relocating her..??

[moonfire (OP)]

The usual...doing research...but who knows...maybe this is why she was in a closer area...she could've been looking for a watery grave...it is sad...

[neilep]

Isn't you tube just wonderful

(fast connections only...well..you can try but it will take a while )

I didn't realize it had died...I'm upset too about that.

make me wonder if it was ill in the first place !!

[Karen W.]

Yeah Thats sad!

[tony6789]

was it the last of it's kinda..and how long has it been around?