Animal Species:Sharpnose Sevengill Shark, Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788)

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.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Sharpnose Sevengill Shark specimens in the Australian Museums.

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.

Classification

Species:

perlo

Genus:

Heptranchias

Family:

Hexanchidae

Order:

Hexanchiformes

Class:

Chondrichthyes

Subphylum:

Vertebrata

Phylum:

Chordata

Kingdom:

Animalia

What does this mean?

References

1. Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513, Pl. 1-84.

Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated: 10 May 2013

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Sharpnose Sevengill Shark, Heptranchias perlo, Hexanchidae, adult, marine, long and skinny, seven pairs of gill slits, single dorsal fin, narrow cusped teeth, cockscomb, brown, grey, green eyes, > 1m,