Family Hexanchidae

Cow Sharks

Selected Characters: Six or seven gill slits; one dorsal fin, far back.

The cow sharks are distributed worldwide in temperate oceans, usually in deep water. The largest recorded specimen was a 4.7-meter-long Sixgill Shark. These sharks feed primarily on fish, but also eat crustaceans and sometimes carrion. They may become aggressive when provoked, but are otherwise harmless and tend to be sluggish. These ovoviviparous sharks bear large litters (up to 108 pups in the Sixgill). Four species are recognized in this family; two occur in Puget Sound. They are infrequently encountered.

Puget Sound Species

Hexanchus griseus Sixgill Shark

Notorynchus cepedianus Sevengill Shark