Hexanchidae

sixgill shark

Hexanchus vitulus

Genetic evidence restored its separate species status

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Atlantic Ocean
• Africa
• Central America and the Caribbean
• Europe
• North America
• South America
• Large
• Tropical fish

The Atlantic sixgill shark (Hexanchus vitulus) is one of the five extant species of the Hexanchidae family of cow sharks. They are found in the Atlantic Ocean at depths that are greater than 300 meters. Due to their habitat being difficult to access for humans, they are rarely encountered and hard to study.