Chlamydoselachidae
| Chlamydoselachidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Specimen of Chlamydoselachus anguineus from Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Hexanchiformes |
| Suborder: | Chlamydoselachoidei Berg and Svetovidov, 1955 |
| Family: | Chlamydoselachidae Garman, 1884 |
| Genera | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Chlamydoselachidae is a family of primitive deep-sea sharks in the order Hexanchiformes. They are one of only two extant families in the order alongside the cow sharks in the family Hexanchidae, and the only members of the suborder Chlamydoselachoidei.
They are now represented only by two extant species in the genus Chlamydoselachus: the frilled shark (C. anguineus) and the Southern African frilled shark (C. africana). However, they are thought to have been more diverse during the Late Cretaceous, where all three extant and extinct genera are known, and one other genus (Rolfodon) survived up to the Miocene. The earliest remains of the family are indeterminate teeth from the Turonian of Japan. Members of this family appear to have always been closely associated with deep-sea habitats. Some extinct taxa such as Rolfodon goliath and Dykeius could grow to very large sizes.