Seveng ill Sharks

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Context

• In San Francisco Bay, Ecologists are working to protect Sevengill Sharks.

About

• The broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) is the only extant member of the genus Notorynchus, in the family Hexanchidae.
• It is recognizable because of its seven gill slits, while most shark species have five gill slits, with the exception of the members of the order Hexanchiformes and the sixgill sawshark.
• This shark has a large, thick body, with a broad head and blunt snout.

Habitat

• The broadnose sevengill has so far been found in the western Pacific Ocean off China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the eastern Pacific Ocean off Canada, United States and Chile, and the southern Atlantic Ocean off Argentina and South Africa.
• It is significantly found in the San Francisco Bay particularly near the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.
• These sharks are mainly benthic in nature, cruising along the sea floor and making an occasional foray to the surface.

Conservation and Threats

• The broadnose sevengill is listed by the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable throughout its range.
• This species likely suffers great ongoing pressure from various types of fisheries, and from frequently being caught as bycatch.
• Its meat and fins are in demand in countries such as the US, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and Israel, and is packaged for frozen food.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/in-san-francisco-bay-ecologists-work-to-protect-sevengill-sharks/article67317903.ece