Biological Aspects of the Sixgill Shark, Hexanchus griseus

Life history information on 28 sixgill sharks, collected off California, was obtained from May 1982 through Sept. 1984. Only one mature sixgill shark, a 421 cm TL female with term embryos, was examined. Size at maturity was estimated for females by comparing gonad development with length-weight measurements. Gut analysis revealed that the sixgill shark's diet consists mainly of bony and cartilaginous fishes. Since sixgill sharks do not appear to be abundant anywhere, their distribution and movement patterns along the deep coastal waters off California are, for the most part, unknown.