Sharpnose Sevengill Shark, Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788)

ANIMAL SPECIES:Sharpnose Sevengill Shark, Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788)

The Sharpnose Sevengill Shark has a slender body with a long caudal peduncle. It occurs in tropical and temperate waters, usually at depths between 100 m to 400 m.

Identification

The Sharpnose Sevengill Shark has a slender body with a long caudal peduncle (glossary). It has a pointed head with large eyes. There are seven pairs of long gill slits and a single dorsal fin. The teeth in the upper jaw have a narrow oblique cusp (glossary) and small lateral cusplets. The lower jaw teeth are shaped like a cockscomb.

The species is brownish to grey above and paler below. The tips of the dorsal and anal fins are dark in juveniles becoming whitish in adults. The eyes are green in life.

Size range

1.4 m

Distribution

In Australia it is known from northern Queensland, down the east coast, around the south of the country, including Tasmania and north to off north-western Western Australia.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Sharpnose Sevengill Shark specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It occurs in tropical and temperate continental and insular shelves and upper slope waters usually at depths between 100 m to 400 m. It has however been caught as deep as 1000 m.