Frilled sharks (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) have elongated bodies giving them the appearance of eels, or perhaps snakes.

It is the only shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae.

Growing to only 2m (6' 6") in length, these sharks are rarely seen, but have been occasionally fished out of the water as an accidental by-catch.

They have no known uses for man and so are not fished commercially.

As in most shark species, the female attains a greater length than the smaller male, which only grows to 1.7m (5ft 6in).

They may have been mistaken for the mythical sea serpent, much reported by seamen over the centuries.

Frilled sharks are possibly the most primitive sharks in the oceans, dating back to 150 million years virtually unchanged.

They are not considered dangerous to humans, mostly because we seldom meet one, and in fact the only people who tend to see them at all are fishermen and scientists.