Species: Hexanchus vitulus, Bigeye sixgill shark

head narrow, pointed
eye large

5 rows lower teeth
Hexanchus vitulus Springer & Waller, 1969
Atlantic sixgill shark
Slender, head narrow and bluntly pointed; eyes large; mouth large, strongly arched; top teeth small and narrow, with an oblique point; lower teeth comb-like (long, low, serrated, 1st point enlarged), large teeth in 5 rows; six long gill slits none over pectoral base; a single dorsal fin far back on body, well separated from tail fin (separated by 2-3 times the length of the dorsal-fin base), space between bases of dorsal and tail fins > length of dorsal fin base; tail base relatively long; tail very asymmetrical, lower lobe and notch under top tip well developed.
Grey on top, abruptly light below; trailing edges of fins usually white, sometimes dark; a black spot at tip of tail fin.
Size: 180 cm.
Habitat: Continental and insular shelves and upper slopes, generally near the bottom.
Depth: 90-701 m.
West Atlantic, Florida to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Near Bottom
- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Habitat
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- Mud
- Water column
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Data
- Egg Type
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- No pelagic larva
- Live birth
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continental primarily
- Extends N + S of GC
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Also in Brazil
- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 180
- Depth Range Min
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- 90
- Depth Range Max
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- 701