Scientists studied how the sea creatures, also known as chimaeras or ghost sharks, ended up with one of evolution’s most bizarre appendages. By Jack Tamisiea Life in the ocean’s dark depths can be ...

There’s a lot of diversity of form among fishes. What we generally think of as standard features (fins, scales and teeth) can present in all sorts of interesting ways from group to group and species ...

Scientists discovered true teeth growing on the head of the spotted ratfish, a distant shark relative. The toothed structure, called a tenaculum, helps males hold onto females during mating. Genetic ...

Male "ghost sharks"—eerie deep-sea fish known as chimaeras that are related to sharks and rays—have a strange rod jutting from their foreheads, studded with sharp, retractable teeth. New research ...

Ghost sharks have evolved rows of true teeth on a bizarre forehead rod used for mating. Fossil and genetic evidence revealed the tenaculum’s teeth develop the same way as those inside the mouth, ...

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. The spotted ratfish ...

The researchers identified teeth on the tenaculum of ancient relatives to the modern adult male spotted ratfish. This fossil record helped them establish the historical significance of this structure, ...