Sharpnose seven-gill shark (Heptranchias perlo)
© Ian K Fergusson(Bonnaterre, 1788).
Fr |
Requin perlon |
Sp |
Cañabota bocadulce; Bocadolç fosc
(Catalunya) |
It |
Squalo manzo; sadda mascolina (Messina);
pesciu boe (Liguria) |
Ma |
Murruna ta' seba gar`gi; Murruna; Morruna
|
Diagnosis
A moderately small and slender shark with seven gill-slits and
one dorsal fin; fusiform body with distinctively pointed snout and
large, green eyes; narrow, long mouth with prominent comblike teeth
in the lower-jaw. This is the only regional species with seven
gill slits. Mid-grey to olive or dun above; lighter
ventrally. Juveniles have dark tips to the dorsal and caudal
fins, whilst adults have paler margins on all fins, although these
may not always be very distinct.
Size
To about 137cm TL; common at 60 to 120 cm.Size at birth about
26cm.
Status and Distribution
N.E. Atlantic: Frequent from Portugal southwards with
abundance increasing south of Gibraltar; rare, very rare or nominal
north of Bay of Biscay, where range extends (probably as outliers)
to Southwestern England and S.W. Ireland; occasional in Biscay and
Gulf of Gascony; Portuguese and Spanish coast, entire West African
coast from Morrocco southwards, although records more patchily
reported from Cape Verde to Equator. Insular records include Azores,
Madeira and Canaries. Mediterranean Sea: Frequent or
occasional; Gibraltar eastwards throughout the Western basin,
including Corsica and Sardinia; considered common on banks in
the Western Sicilian Channel (Esquerquis & L'Aventure).
Sporadic in the Southern Adriatic and North Aegean but occasional at
the Dodecanese (Rhodes); scarce in extreme south-eastern
regions.
Biology
A deepwater species found on or near the bottom at between 27 to
700m, usually offshore but occasionally coastal where the seafloor
shelves steeply; also often on the deeper boundaries of offshore
banks. Powerful and voracious predators despite a rather
modest size, sevengills feed upon deepwater bony fishes such as
hake, also rays and small sharks, squid, cuttlefish and
crustaceans. Ovoviviparous, bears 9 to 20 young. Females
mature at about 90 cm and males at ca. 85 cm.
The Shark Trust, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ, UK.
Tel(+44) 01635 551150, Fax(+44) 01635
550230
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