Atlantic sixgill shark: New shark species discovered in Atlantic Ocean

A team of scientists has identified a new shark species residing in the Atlantic Ocean. Using genetic testing, the study confirmed that the new species, named the "Atlantic sixgill shark", is different than its counterparts in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. "We showed that the sixgills in the Atlantic are actually very different from the ones in the Indian and Pacific Oceans on a molecular level, to the point where it is obvious that they're a different species even though they look very similar to the naked eye," said Toby Daly-Engel, Assistant Professor and shark biologist at the Florida Institute of Technology. Measuring up to 6 feet in length, Atlantic sixgill sharks are far smaller than their Indo-Pacific relatives, which can grow to 15 feet or longer. They have unique, saw-like lower teeth and six gill slits, as their name suggests, while most sharks have five gill slits. With their new classification, Atlantic Atlantic sixgill sharks will now have a better chance at long-term survival, Daly-Engel noted. "Because we now know there are two unique species, we have a sense of the overall variation in populations of sixgills. We understand that if we overfish one of them, they will not replenish from elsewhere in the world," she said. 

Atlantic sixgill shark – Hexanchus vitulus: 

i. Through genetic testing it has been proved that, the new shark species named “Atlantic sixgill shark” is different from the similar ones found in Indian and Pacific Oceans.ii. Hence they have not been associated with the existing species Hexanchus nakamurai. This new species is named Hexanchus vitulus.iii. The findings have been published in the journal Marine Biodiversity. The “Atlantic sixgill shark” is up to 6 feet long.iv. They feature unique, saw-like lower teeth and six gill slits. They date back to nearly 250 million years ago and are one of the oldest creatures on Earth.