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It's one thing to have a nightmare about a demogorgon—that's at least not real. This creature on the other hand, is very much of this Earth—and there's at least one out there that is very much alive. 。

While working on a project, European Union researchers unexpectedly came across (and managed to catch) the elusive frilled shark. According to recent reports from
。 BBC。BBC。

, the shark, whose species has existed unchanged since around 80 million years ago, was found off the coast of Portugal.。SEE ALSO:The greatest wins and fails in the wild。

NUMAZU, JAPAN - JANUARY 21: In this handout picture released by Awashima Marine Park, a 1.6 meter long Frill shark swims in a tank after being found by a fisherman at a bay in Numazu, on January 21, 2007 in Numazu, Japan. The frill shark, also known as a Frilled shark usually lives in waters of a depth of 600 meters and so it is very rare that this shark is found alive at sea-level. It's body shape and the number of gill are similar to fossils of sharks which lived 350,000,000 years ago. (Photo by Awashima Marine Park/Getty Images)Credit: Getty Images。

The captured frilled shark caught in Portugal is about five-feet long and was caught around 2,300 feet underwater, off the Algarve coast. Some have also been discovered in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (like the one shown above).。Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.。

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The shark itself is said to have not changed much at all since the dinosaur days, and according to Professor Margarida Castro of the University of the Algarve in conversation with Portugese outlet Sic Noticias TV, it's been dubbed the "frilled shark" because of the huge number of teeth "which allow it to trap squid, fish and other sharks in sudden lunges." 。

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You can see more terrifying footage of the Portugese frilled shark here, but warning, it's a sinister sight.。

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You can see more terrifying footage of the Portugese frilled shark here, but warning, it's a sinister sight.。

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