Southern African Frilled Shark
Chlamydoselachus africana
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Sharks and rays
The Southern African frilled shark is a species of shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae, described in 2009. It is found in the deep waters off southern Angola to southern Namibia. This species is difficult to distinguish from the better-known frilled shark, but is smaller at maturity and differs in several proportional measurements including head length and mouth width. It seems to be a specialized predator of smaller sharks, using its flexible jaws and numerous needle-like, recurved teeth to capture and swallow them whole. Reproduction is presumably aplacental viviparous, as with the other member of its family.
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Hexanchiformes
- Family
- Chlamydoselachidae
- Genus
- Chlamydoselachus