Hexanchus
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(Redirected from Six gill shark)
| Hexanchus Temporal range: 196–0 Ma Sinemurian to Present[1] |
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| Bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Hexanchiformes |
| Family: | Hexanchidae |
| Genus: | Hexanchus Rafinesque, 1810 |
| Species | |
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See text. |
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The sixgill sharks, Hexanchus, are a genus of deepwater sharks in the family Hexanchidae. These sharks are characterized by broad pointed heads, six pairs of gill slits, comb-like, yellow lower teeth, and a long tail. It can grow up to 5 m (18 ft) long and weigh over 600 kg (1320 lb).[2] They are abyssal plain scavengers with a keen sense of smell and are among the first to arrive at carrion, together with hagfish and rattails. They show a characteristic rolling motion of the head when feeding. They have been found at depths of up to 2,500 feet (760 m).[citation needed]
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[edit] Extant Species
- Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Bluntnose sixgill shark)
- Hexanchus nakamurai Teng, 1962 (Bigeyed sixgill shark)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: p.560. http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=575&rank=class. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ^ Kindersley, Dorling (2001,2005). Animal. New York City: DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-7764-5.
- "Hexanchus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=159815. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
[edit] External links
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