Broadnose Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus): facts, sounds & photos

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Broadnose Sevengill Shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) lives in coastal marine waters across Eastern Pacific. Its conservation status is Vulnerable.

Fascinating facts about the Broadnose Sevengill Shark

Seven gill slits set this shark apart from most of its cousins, while most sharks have five, the broadnose sevengill proudly displays seven. Guinness World Records even listed it alongside the sharpnose sevengill as having the most gill slits, a trait that links it to ancient Jurassic sharks and highlights its deep evolutionary roots.
A 2003 study showed the sevengill's menu is surprisingly mammal-heavy: mammals made up 30 % of its diet, appearing in 35 % of stomach samples. This high proportion of warm-blooded prey, alongside fish, rays and even carrion, reveals the shark's opportunistic hunting style.
This shark can grow to a massive size: newborns measure just 40-45 cm, mature males reach about 1.5 m, females about 2.2 m, and the longest recorded individual hit 3.0 m. The heaviest known specimen weighed 182 kg at 2.91 m long.
Reproduction is a marathon: after a 12-month gestation, females migrate to shallow bays each April-May to birth 82-95 pups measuring 40-45 cm. They don't breed every year; females give birth only once every two years.

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

RangeEastern Pacific

HabitatCoastal marine waters

DietFish and marine mammals

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