Broadnose sevengill shark

The broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) is the only extant member of the genus Notorynchus, in the family Hexanchidae. It is recognizable because of its seven gill slits, while most shark species have five gill slits, with the exception of the members of the order Hexanchiformes and the sixgill sawshark.

The shark is gray or brownish with spots. It has one dorsal fin set far back along the spine towards the tail. Its top jaw has jagged cusped teeth and the bottom comb shaped. This adaptation allows the shark to eat sharks, rays, fish, seals, and carrion. The sharks live in temperate areas worldwide, from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, and from the shallows down to 135 m (450 ft) deep. Five unprovoked attacks on humans have been recorded since the 16th century^[1]. This shark is ovoviviparous, bearing live young. It grows up to 300 cm (10 feet) long.

References

• Compagno (2000). Notorynchus cepedianus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient
• "Notorynchus cepedianus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=159829. Retrieved 23 January 2006. 
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Notorynchus cepedianus" in FishBase. 10 2005 version.