Cut-paper ratfish in side view, a big-headed fish with wide fins and a long thin tail

The character cabinet

Ratfish

Plants and animalsliving fish

← Back to the cabinet

What it is

A flat-toothed cousin of sharks, still living in deep water today.

Why it matters

Line up the strange animals of the golden age of sharks on the family tree, and the buzzsaw and the anvil sit closer to the ratfish than to sharks. The golden age of sharks was mostly a golden age of something else.

On screen

Watch it in

Open a chapter to read its story and watch the video. Links include brief mentions and previews within published chapters.