Malta country information

Common names: 6-gilled shark, Bluntnose sixgill shark, Morruna
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Landings (as target or by catch) at the Malta fish market from 2004 until 2008 totaled over 435 individuals, caught by fishermen with bottom longlines as the common gear used. Statistics show that 73% of the landed species were caught between January and April, with a peak in landings between February and March. The following were also observed: female proportion significantly larger than that of males; size of females between 74 cm and 400 cm (mean body length of 270 cm, st.dev. 63.5 cm), males between 106 cm and 356cm (mean body length of 246 cm, st.dev. 39.1cm); specimens collected in this study were mostly juveniles, only one record of a new born; no gravid female obtained. The above observation may indicate various regional scenarios: 1) fishing methods target immature individuals, 2) mature individuals absent in Central Mediterranean, or 3) the population has been exploited in a way that only immature specimens are left (since individuals reach sexual maturity quite late in their life-cycle) (Ref. 95706) Also Ref. 247.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mt.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Lanfranco, G.G., 1996
National Database:

Classification / Names

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Hexanchiformes (Frill and cow sharks) > Hexanchidae (Cow sharks)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Requin griset, Cañabota gris, Atlantic mud shark, ... more

Main reference

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. (Ref. 247)
References | Biblio | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 482 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247); common length : 300 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 590.0 kg (Ref. 27436)

Length at first maturity
L_m ?, range 400 - 482 cm

Environment

Marine; bathydemersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 2500 m (Ref. 58302), usually 180 - 1100 m (Ref. 45445)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 25°C (Ref. 107945); 65°N - 48°S, 180°W - 180°E

Distribution

Circumglobal: In tropical and temperate waters; (Ref. 13573). Western Atlantic: North Carolina to Florida (USA) and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland and Norway to Namibia, including the Mediterranean. Indian Ocean: Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, and Arabian Sea (Ref.85183). Western Pacific: eastern Japan to New Zealand and Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Baja California, Mexico; also Chile . Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139, Ref. 41819).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A heavily-bodied, broad-headed sixgill shark, mouth ventral with 6 rows of lower, bladelike, comb-shaped teeth on each side (Ref. 247). Snout broadly rounded, body fusiform (Ref. 6871). Anal fin smaller than dorsal fin (Ref. 6871). Brown or grey above, paler below, with a light stripe along side (Ref. 26346). Fins with white edges (Ref. 6574). Live specimens with fluorescent green eyes (Ref. 6871). Six gill slits are very long (Ref. 35388).

Depth range reported at 0m-2000m. A deepwater species of the outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes (Ref. 6871). Near bottom, occasionally pelagic, adults usually below 91 m (Ref. 58302). Juveniles may be found close inshore (Ref. 6871). Found on the bottom by day, moving to the surface at night to feed, and where it may take longlines set for other species (Ref. 45445). Depth distribution related to growth and temperature, with juveniles having most shallow records and from colder, poleward regions (Ref. 58302). Feeds on a wide range of marine organisms, including other sharks, rays, chimaeras, bony fish, squids, crabs, shrimps, carrion, and even seals. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205), with 22 to 108 pups in a litter (Ref. 247). Marketed fresh, frozen, or dried salted; also utilized as a source of oil and fishmeal. Not known to have attacked people without provocation (Ref. 247). Give birth to almost 100 young (Ref. 35388).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Near Threatened (NT)

Threat to humans

Poisonous to eat (Ref. 4690)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

Countries
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Ecology
Diet
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Food consumption
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Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
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Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
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Eggs
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Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
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References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
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Heritability
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Pictures
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Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.8281 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.5 ±0.2 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec= 22-108)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Very high vulnerability (84 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Unknown

Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)