Biology

Despite being a rather small and slender shark, the strong swimming sharpnose sevengill shark is a voracious predator that is most active during the night (2) (4). It has a varied diet, feeding on a range of marine invertebrates, such as shrimp, lobsters, squid and cuttlefish, as well as small bony fish such as hake, small sharks and rays (2). This shark itself is thought to be preyed on by larger sharks (2). Although this shark is said to be quick to bite when captured, it is too small to be dangerous to humans (4). The sharpnose sevengill shark is an ovoviviparous species, a method of reproduction in which the young develop within eggs that remain inside the body until they hatch. Females give birth to between 9 and 20 young in a litter (4), each one measuring around 25 centimetres long (2)