The waters around New Zealand could play an important role in frilled shark reproduction. A new study by Brittany Finucci, Teah Burke and Malcolm Francis has been listed online by the journal Deep Sea Research Part I since 2 September 2026.
The accessible abstract of the preprint reports 341 records from research catches, fisheries observations and museum collections. Biological information was available for 32 animals. The following findings refer to this preprint.
Evidence of births and differences in depth use
Newborns and females that had given birth suggest that frilled sharks give birth in New Zealand waters. This does not yet establish a clearly defined nursery. The team also describes differences in depth distribution according to size and sex.
Limited dietary data point to other deepwater sharks as prey. The study provides a basis for further research; it does not demonstrate a population increase. Given the small biological sample, these regional observations cannot readily be applied to all populations of the species.
