You can sponsor this page

Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Bluntnose sixgill shark
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Hexanchus griseus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos | Stamps, coins, misc. | Google image
Image of Hexanchus griseus (Bluntnose sixgill shark)
Hexanchus griseus
Picture by Murch, A.


Australia country information

Common names: Bluntnose sixgill shark, Bull shark, Cow shark
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Recorded from seamounts off Queensland and from a few specimens collected off New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and northern Western Australia (Ref. 6871). Occurrence based on map distribution (Ref. 125614). Also Ref. 247, 7300, 13573, 127228.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Hoese, D.F., D.J. Bray, J.R. Paxton and G.R. Allen, 2006
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Populärnamn | synonymer | Catalog of Fishes(Släkte, Arter) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (hajar och rockor) (sharks and rays) > Hexanchiformes (Frill and cow sharks) > Hexanchidae (Cow sharks)
Etymology: Hexanchus: hex (Gr.), six; anchus, etymology unclear, perhaps anchos (Gr.), choke or throttle, referring to how six gill openings of H. griseus extend down onto the throat. (See ETYFish);  griseus: Medieval Latin for gray, reflecting the French vernacular “Le Griset,” referring to its dark-gray coloration. (See ETYFish).
  More on author: Bonnaterre.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ekologi

marina djupbottenlevande; havsvandrande (Ref. 51243); djupintervall 1 - 2500 m (Ref. 58302), usually 180 - 1100 m (Ref. 45445).   Subtropical; 6°C - 10°C (Ref. 125614); 65°N - 48°S, 180°W - 180°E

Utbredning Länder | FAO områden | Ekosystem | Förekomster | Point map | Utplanteringar | Faunafri

Circumglobal with patchy distribution and possibly absent from Arctic and Antarctic. Highly migratory species.

Length at first maturity / Size / Vikt / Age

Maturity: Lm 441.0, range 400 - 482 cm
Max length : 600 cm TL hane/ej könsbestämd; (Ref. 124786); common length : 300 cm TL hane/ej könsbestämd; (Ref. 5217); publicerad maxvikt: 590.0 kg (Ref. 27436)

Short description Bestämningsnycklar | Morfologi | Morfometri

Taggstrålar i ryggfenan (totalt) : 0; Taggstrålar i analfenan: 0. A heavily-bodied, broad-headed sixgill shark, mouth ventral with 6 rows of lower, bladelike, comb-shaped teeth on each side (Ref. 247). Snout broadly rounded, body fusiform (Ref. 6871). Anal fin smaller than dorsal fin (Ref. 6871). Brown or grey above, paler below, with a light stripe along side (Ref. 26346). Fins with white edges (Ref. 6574). Live specimens with fluorescent green eyes (Ref. 6871). Six gill slits are very long (Ref. 35388).

Biologi     Ordlista (t.ex. epibenthic)

Depth range reported at 0m-2500m (Ref. 125614). A deepwater species of the outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes (Ref. 6871, 75154), islands, seamounts and mid-ocean ridges (Ref. 125614). Near bottom, occasionally pelagic, adults usually below 91 m (Ref. 58302). Juveniles may be found close inshore (Ref. 6871), while nursery areas are in very shallow waters (Ref. 125614). Found on the bottom by day, moving to the surface at night to feed, and where it may take longlines set for other species (Ref. 45445). Depth distribution related to growth and temperature, with juveniles having most shallow records and from colder, poleward regions (Ref. 58302). Generally occurs at a bottom temperature of 6 to 10°C (Ref. 125614). Feeds on a wide range of marine organisms, including other sharks, rays, chimaeras, bony fish, squids, crabs, shrimps, carrion, and even seals (Ref. 26969). Large sharks (at least 2m) take cetaceans and seals. Viviparous, very large litters of 47-108 pups (Ref. 125614). Give birth to almost 100 young (Ref. 35388). Young and adults may be segregated, with the young using inshore nursery grounds. Possibly long-lived (Ref. 125614). Is a eurytrophic predator that is capable of exploiting a wide range of prey species and habitats (Ref. 26969). A vertical migrant, it may sit on the bottom by day, and rise to the surface at night to feed (Ref. 247). It occurs alone or in groups. Adults are more sensitive to light than the juveniles and less seen in clear shallow waters, but more prevalent at night or areas with dense plankton blooms (Ref. 125614). It is locally common in bycatch and target fisheries for food, fishmeal and oil, and in sports fisheries, but vulnerable to overfishing and requires careful management (Ref. 125614). Marketed fresh, frozen, or dried salted (Ref. 247). Not known to have attacked people without provocation (Ref. 247).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduktion | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larver

Viviparous, very large litters of 47-108 pups (Ref. 125614). Size at birth 60-75 cm (Ref. 26346). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | referenser | Koordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Medarbetare

Ebert, D.A., S. Fowler and M. Dando, 2021. Sharks of the World: A complete guide. Princeton University Press, 607p. (Ref. 125614)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Near Threatened (NT) (A2bd); Date assessed: 21 November 2019

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Other (Ref. 4690)




Human uses

Fiskeri: kommersiell; sportfisk: ja
FAO(fiskeri: produktion, species profile; publication : search) | FIRMS (Stock assessments) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Ytterligare information

Trophic ecology
Födoslag
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predatorer
Ecology
Ekologi
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduktion
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larver
Larvdynamik
Distribution
Länder
FAO områden
Ekosystem
Förekomster
Utplanteringar
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Hjärnstorlek
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fiskljud
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetik
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Vattenbruksprofiler
Avelslinjer
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Medarbetare
References
referenser

Verktyg

Special reports

Download XML

Internet-källor

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 3.6 - 15.7, mean 8.1 (based on 3800 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.8281   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00117 (0.00066 - 0.00209), b=3.18 (3.01 - 3.35), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trofisk nivå (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resiliens (Ref. 120179):  Låg, lägsta populationsfördubblingstid 4,5-14 år (Fec= 22-108).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.