Sharpnose Sevengill Shark

About the Sharpnose Sevengill Shark

The sharpnose sevengill shark is  a relatively uncommon species of cow shark found in deep water all over the world. It is an uncommon species but it’s widespread.

It feeds on pelagic fishes, squids and crustaceans. The maximum size it can grow up to is 140 cm. Males mature at 75 to 85 cm and females at 90 to 105 cm. They have a littler size of 6 to 20 with a size of 25 cm. The gestation and reproductive periodicity is unknown with other biological information.

It is found in all tropical and temperate seas except Eastern North Pacific. It is captured at a depth of 300 to 600 m but they can dive up to a depth of 1,000 m.

They are used for human consumption and presumably for fish meal. It is occasionally kept in captivity in Japan and behaves aggressively when captured.

It occurs at places where commercial fisheries are likely to develop and has a low rate of multiplying and a poor resistance to depletion. These sharks are of minor importance but bycatch in bottom trawl and longline fisheries may have caused the decrease in its population. The increase in deepwater fishing pressure around the world may affect their population in the future.

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Scientific Name Heptranchias perlo
OrderCow and Frilled Sharks - Hexanchiformes
GenusHeptranchias
CitesNot Listed
IUCNNear Threatened
ReproductionOvoviviparous
SizeMedium
Litter Size 9-20
Common Length 137 cm
Max LenghtNA
Depth Range 0 - 1000 m
DistributionNortheast Atlantic, Southwest Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Western Central Atlantic, Eastern Central Atlantic, Eastern Indian Ocean, Western Central Pacific, Mediterranean and Black Sea, Northwest Pacific, Southwest Pacific, Southeast Pacific
EnvironmentBathydemersal