Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Bluntnose Sixgill Shark

Squalus griseus Bonnaterre, 1788: 9 . Types: unknown according to Boeseman in Hureau & Monod (1973). Type locality: “La Méditerranée” [= Mediterranean Sea].

Local synonymy: Hexanchus griseus: Norman, 1922: 319; Barnard, 1925: 22; Barnard, 1947: 9; Smith, 1949a: 38, fig. 1; Bass et al., 1975d: 8, fig. 5, pl. 1; Compagno, 1984a: 19, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 46, fig. 2.2; Compagno et al., 1989: 18, pl.; Ebert, 1990: 45, fig. 3.13; Compagno, et al., 1991: 53; Ebert, 1994: 213; Compagno, 1999: 114; Ebert, 2002a: 359; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 51, fig.; Compagno et al., 2005: 67, fig., pl. 1; Barnett et al., 2012: 967; Ebert, 2013: 42, fig. 34; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 69, fig., pl. 1; Ebert & Mostarda, 2013: 9, fig.; NPOA, 2013: 36; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 79, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 247; Ebert, 2015: 44, fig. 40; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 9, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Compagno, 2016: 1149; Weigmann, 2016: 887.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6180 [former ORI 2598]. Ebert (1990, 1994, 2002a) and Compagno et al. (1991) examined numerous South African specimens, several of which are now in the fish collection (uncatalogued) at SAM.

South Africa distribution: Entire coast from the Orange River (NC) to northern KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: Perhaps the most common species of large deep-sea shark, H. griseus also occurs close inshore, including Langebaan Lagoon, Saldanha Bay, and St. Helena Bay (WC).

Conservation status: NT (2020).