Bluntnose six-gill shark

D-Grauhai, Sechskiemer; GB-Bluntnose six-gill shark, cow shark; DK-Seksgællet haj; PL-Sześcioszpar szary; EST-Kammhai; RU-Шестижаберная акула; FIN-Kidushai; S- Sexbågig kamtandhaj

Characters

1) Only one dorsal fin.
2) 6 gill-slits.
●) Lower caudal lobe only moderately developed.
●) Back brown to greyish, belly lighter.
Often about 3 m, max. 4.8 m length and 590 kg weight.

Similar species

Porbeagle - 2 dorsal fins; only 5 gill slits.

Blue shark - 2 dorsal fins; only 5 gill slits.

Biology

Close to bottom, usually in deeper and cooler waters at 100 to 2000 m depth. Nocturnal. Litters of 22 to 108 young.

Diet

All sorts of bottom living fishes and molluscs; also rays and other sharks, carion and occasionally seals.

Importance

Commercially not important, but locally used as food fish and for fish meal and fish oil production.

Endangerment

Often ending as by-catch in longline fisheries, trawls and gill nets. Regarded as susceptible for overfishing due to their late sexually maturity: males at about 3 m length, females not before about 4 m length.