| Family: |
Hexanchidae (Cow sharks) |
| Max. size: |
300 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 107 kg; max. reported age: 49 years |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 570 m |
| Distribution: |
Circumglobal: In tropical to temperate waters; except North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Southwest Atlantic: southern Brazil to northern Argentina. Southeast Atlantic: Namibia to East London, South Africa (Ref. 5578). Western Pacific: southern Japan to New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: British Columbia, Canada to Chile. Record from India maybe erroneous. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0; Vertebrae: 123-157. A large seven-gilled cowshark (Ref. 5578) with a wide head, short and blunt snout, and fusiform body. Dorsal fin small, origin may vary from over insertion of pelvic fins to over free rear tips of pelvic fins. Anal fin smaller than dorsal fin. Tooth count 15-16/13. Reddish-brown to silvery-grey or olive-brown with numerous small black spots on body and fins; cream below (Ref. 5578). |
| Biology: |
Found on the continental shelf, often in shallow water (Ref. 247). Occurs close inshore, in bays and estuaries (Ref. 6871), with larger individuals ranging into deeper waters offshore and deep channels in bays (Ref. 247). Usually cruising steadily and slowly near the bottom (sometimes in water as shallow as a meter), but sometimes at the surface (Ref. 247). Can dash at speed when attacking prey (Ref. 247). Feeds on anything, including other sharks, rays, chimaeras, bony fish, hagfish, dolphin and porpoise meat, seals, shark egg cases, sea snails and mammalian carrion, including rats and humans (Ref. 5578). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449), with 82 to 95 young in a litter (Ref. 31395). Aggressive when provoked, and regarded as potentially dangerous to people in open waters (Ref. 247). It has attacked divers in captivity and may be involved in a few shark attacks off California and South Africa (Ref. 247). Often caught by anglers from the shore (Ref. 6574). Utilized for human consumption, its skin for leather, and its liver as a source of oil (Ref. 247). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 28 February 2015 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
traumatogenic |
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