Hawaii oceanography professors captured an 18-foot six-gill shark on video during a 2006 research submersible dive off Molokai. The video was posted recently on YouTube and has received more than a 1,000 hits.
"Oh my God! It's huge!" said UH oceanography professor Jeff Drazen on the YouTube video. The video of the deep-sea shark, named Hexanchus griseus, estimated at 18 feet in length, was taken in August 2006 from Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory's Pisces V submersible, anchored on the sea floor at a depth of more than 3,000 feet about two miles off Molokai...Read More...Honolulu Star Bulletin
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. As long as it stays at 3,000 feet, I have no problems with it. :>)
The Goddess Athena at 12:03PM on Feb 8th 2008
2. Bluntnose sixgill shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
STATUS:
Near Threatened
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Hexanchiformes
Family: Hexanchidae
Genus: Hexanchus
Species: H. griseus
Binomial name
Hexanchus griseus
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
The bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, often simply called the cow shark, is the largest hexanchoid shark, growing to more than 4.8 m (15.5 ft) in length.
Taxonomy
The bluntnose sixgill shark is a member of the Hexanchidae family. Many of its relatives are extinct. The living species that are closest genetically include the dogfish, the Greenland shark, as well as other six- and sevengilled sharks. There are more closely related relatives in the fossil record than living species. Some of the shark's relatives date back to 200 million years ago. This shark is a very interesting species due to it's both primitive and current physical characteristics.
Description
Skin color ranges from tan to brown, or as dark as black. It has a light colored lateral line down the sides and on the fins' edges. There are darker colored spots on the sides. The general body shape is a heavy, powerful body with a broad head with small eyes. The pupils are black and the eye color is a fluorescent blue green. As an adult the bluntnose sixgill shark can grow to a massive size. True body length is determined by the gender of the individual. Males generally average between 309 and 330 cm. Females tend to be larger, averaging between 350 and 420 cm. This shark can attain a length of up to 550 cm.
Teeth of the bluntnose sixgill shark.The bluntnose sixgill shark resembles many of the fossil sharks from the Triassic period. This could be due to the fact that there are a greater number of Hexicanus relatives in the fossil record than there are left alive today. They have one dorsal fin located near the caudal fin. The pectoral fins are broad with rounded edges. There are six gill slits which gives the shark its name. Most common sharks today have only 5 gill slits.
Habitat
This species typically inhabits depths greater than 90 m (300 ft), and has been recorded as deep as 1,875 m (6,150 ft). Like many deep-sea creatures, the bluntnose sixgill shark is known to undertake nightly vertical migrations (travelling surfaceward at night, returning to the depths before dawn).
The bluntnose sixgill shark can be seen at depths of 30 m (100 ft) and shallower during parts of the year in some specific places e.g. Flora Islet, near Hornby Island in British Columbia, in Puget Sound, Monterey Canyon in San Francisco Bay and in fjords in Norway. It is unknown why the shark come to these shallow depths and what they do, but they have been observed for over 20 years doing this.
Feeding patterns
Although sluggish in nature, the bluntnose sixgill shark is capable of attaining high speeds for chasing and catching its prey. Because of the bluntnose sixgill shark's large and diverse range they have a wide variety of prey items. Their diet consists of a variety of mollusks, crustaceans, Agnathans (which is a family consisting of hagfish), and sea lampreys. They also dine on Cape anchovies, Pacific salmon, various species of hake. There are also many more species that are eaten depending upon the shark's home range.
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Doesn't sound like humans are on the menu. I think that qualifies as good news !
BILL G at 1:01PM on Feb 8th 2008
3. Fire up the deep fryer boys. All you can eat fish fry-$9.95
mac at 10:11PM on Feb 8th 2008
4. Looks like my former mother-in-law.
Captain Negative at 4:03PM on Feb 9th 2008