Bluntnose Sixgill Shark

Threat Level: low

The Bluntnose Sixgill Shark is also known as Atlantic mud shark, brown shark,
bull dog shark, bull shark, cow shark, gray shark, grey shark, mud shark,
sixgill cow shark, sixgill shark, and sixgilled shark.

BLUNTNOSE SIXGILL SHARK

Scientific Name.... Hexanchus Griseus
Family Name...... Hexanchidae

General Information: The bluntnose sixgill shark has a massive body, with a long and powerful tail. It has a single dorsal fin that is located to the rear of the body , slightly in front of the anal fin below. The eyes are small, and set on the side of the wide, short-snouted head. This shark has six pairs of gill slits and there are only two other shark species that have six gill slits and that is the frill shark and the bigeyed sixgill shark.

Size: The average size of a bluntnose sixgill shark is approximately 10-16 feet. The adult males range in length to be about 10 feet long and weigh about 440 pounds and the females about 13 feet in length and weigh 880 pounds.

Teeth: The buntnose sixgill shark as six rows of teeth. They have broad saw-like teeth on each side of its lower jaw, and the upper jaw has smaller recurved teeth with a single cusp.

Color: They are either gray, olive, green or brown on the upper side, fading to a paler underside. These sharks have teardrop- shaped green eyes.

Feeding Habits: The bluntnose sixgill shark is a voracious predator, who feeds nocturnally on other large bony and cartilaginous fishes, such as, flounder, dolphin, bill fish, hagfish and rays. They can easily cut into bite-sized chunks with its teeth. Smaller other prey include crab, squid and herring. They are known to scavenge on sea lions, whales and as well as bait from long lines set out for other fisheries.

Social Behaviour: This species has been observed as a solitary shark. Although there is little known about the behaviour and migration habits of the bluntnose sixgill shark due to the depths at which it spends most of its life.

Habitat | Migration | Distribution: Bluntnose sixgill sharks are found world-wide in northern and cold temperate to tropical seas. This shark is primarily a deep water species and is found both near the bottom and in the water column above continental and island shelves, at depths of 650-5,400 feet. It prefers dimly lit or dark waters and to rest along the bottom during the day and is seen at night near the surface of the open ocean.

Life Span: It is estimated the longevity for this species is around 80 years.

Reproduction: This shark is ovoviparity and can produce up to 100 live young and bout 20 inches long. Little is known about this sharks biology other than the data from commercial fisheries.

Swimming: With its long and powerful tail it is considered to be a slow but strong swimmer.

Bluntnose Sixgill Shark Attacks: This shark has not been reported to attack people without being provoked.

Population Report: Common.