(Reuters. Video-ITV News, 1/24/07)
This is the 59th most discussed video of all time. It has been identified as a species of shark rarely seen alive. Its natural habitat is about 2,000 feet under the sea. It was captured on film by staff at a Japanese marine park.
The Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port that he spotted an odd looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth. Marine park staff caught the 5 foot (1.6 m) long creature, which they identified as a female frilled shark, sometimes referred to as a "living fossil." It is a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times.
The shark appeared to be in poor condition when park staff moved it to a seawater pool where they filmed it swimming and opening its jaws. "We believe moving pictures of a live specimen are extremely rare," said an official at the park. "They live between 1,968 and 3,280 feet (600 and 1,000 m) underwater, which is deeper than humans can go."
"We think it may have come close to the surface because it was sick, or else it was weakened because it was in shallow waters," the official said.
- More info at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frilled
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