Mysterious giant sharks that outlived the dinosaurs lurking in Puget Sound
Researchers at Seattle Aquarium are studying the sixgill shark, a species that has existed since before the dinosaurs. These sharks have been spotted in Puget Sound, where scientists believe they give birth and raise their young. The aquarium aims to learn more about their behavior, migration, and ecology through ongoing research efforts in the area.
- ▪Sixgill sharks, or Hexanchus griseus, have six gill slits and can grow up to 14 feet long.
- ▪These ancient sharks typically inhabit deep ocean waters but have been observed in Puget Sound year-round.
- ▪Seattle Aquarium researchers are studying the sharks' birthing habits and movement patterns in the Salish Sea.
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Most sharks have five gill slits on either side. These sharks have six. Seattle Aquarium Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Email address Sign up Thank you! Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Most sharks have five gill slits on either side. But Hexanchus griseus, a giant and mysterious shark species, has an even six gill slits. These fish, appropriately called the sixgill shark, live in both tropical and temperate waters around the world and can reach up to 14-feet-long. They’ve existed since before the dinosaurs, and yet marine biologists still don’t know very much about them. One of the problems—for researchers, anyway—is that sixgills usually live in deep oceanic waters, at depths of up to 9,800 feet.
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