Sharpnose sevengill shark (Heptranchias perlo)

Scientific name: Heptranchias perlo Bonnaterre, 1788

The Sharpnose sevengill shark (Heptranchias perlo) is a marine fish of the family Hexanchidae.

Biology

Found on the outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes in depths of 100 to 400, also inshore and down to 1,000 m. Feeds on small sharks and rays, small bony fish, shrimps, crabs, lobsters, squid, and cuttlefish. Ovoviviparous, with 9-12 young born per litter. Very active and aggressive when captured and quick to bite but too small to be very dangerous to people. Liver utilized as a source of oil. Maximum length may reach 214 cm, but this is uncertain.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Heptranchias perlo
Family: Hexanchidae (Cow sharks)
Order: Hexanchiformes (Frill and cow sharks)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 137
Common length: 100.0
Depth range: 0–1000 m (0–3281 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 0 - 1000 m, usually 180 - 450 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical and temperate seas, excluding the northeast Pacific. Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to Cuba, then from Venezuela to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Namibia, including the Mediterranean Sea. Indian Ocean: southwestern India, Aldabra Island, southern Mozambique, and South Africa. Western Pacific: Japan to China, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. Southeast Pacific: off northern Chile.
Conservation status (IUCN): Near Threatened (NT)
Threat to humans: Poisonous to eat
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=9)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026