Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark Hexanchus griseus
The bluntnose sixgill shark is an enormous deep-water shark sometimes spotted by divers in shallow water at night, but its more usual haunt is rocky seamounts and mid-ocean ridges. Its thick-set, powerful body has one dorsal fin, a large mouth lined with comb-like teeth, and six gill slits. Its fins are soft and flexible, not rigid like those of most sharks. Fish, rays, squid, and bottom-living invertebrates are the bluntnose sixgill sharkâs typical prey, although larger adults sometimes also hunt for seals and cetaceans.
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- Order Hexanchiformes
- Length Up to 18 ft (5.5 m)
- Weight Up to at least 1,300 lb (600 kg)
- Depth Up to 7,550 ft (2,300 m)
- Distribution Tropical and temperate waters worldwide
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