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Hexanchus (sixgill shark)
Taxonomy
Hexanchus was named by Rafinesque (1810) [Sepkoski's age data: J Sine R Sepkoski's reference number: 884,1066]. It is extant.
It was reranked as Notidanus (Hexanchus) by Herman (1977).
It was assigned to Hexeptranchidae by Arambourg (1927); to Notidanus by Herman (1977); to Hexanchiformes by Sepkoski (2002); and to Hexanchidae by Jordan (1963), Uyeno (1972), Itoigawa (1977), Uyeno et al. (1981), Bendix-Almgreen (1983), Thies (1983), Kumar and Loyal (1987), Müller and Diedrich (1991), Long et al. (1993), Cione and Reguero (1994), Underwood and Mitchell (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Otero et al. (2013), Guinot et al. (2013), Siversson and Machalski (2017), Kent (2018), Cappetta et al. (2019), Feichtinger et al. (2022), Feichtinger et al. (2024), Landau et al. (2025).
It was reranked as Notidanus (Hexanchus) by Herman (1977).
It was assigned to Hexeptranchidae by Arambourg (1927); to Notidanus by Herman (1977); to Hexanchiformes by Sepkoski (2002); and to Hexanchidae by Jordan (1963), Uyeno (1972), Itoigawa (1977), Uyeno et al. (1981), Bendix-Almgreen (1983), Thies (1983), Kumar and Loyal (1987), Müller and Diedrich (1991), Long et al. (1993), Cione and Reguero (1994), Underwood and Mitchell (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Otero et al. (2013), Guinot et al. (2013), Siversson and Machalski (2017), Kent (2018), Cappetta et al. (2019), Feichtinger et al. (2022), Feichtinger et al. (2024), Landau et al. (2025).
Species
Species lacking formal opinion data
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1810 | Hexanchus Rafinesque |
| 1927 | Hexanchus Arambourg p. 221 |
| 1963 | Hexanchus Jordan p. 597 |
| 1972 | Hexanchus Uyeno p. 223 |
| 1977 | Notidanus (Hexanchus) Herman p. 98 |
| 1977 | Hexanchus Itoigawa p. 125 |
| 1981 | Hexanchus Uyeno et al. pp. 82-83 figs. pl. 1, fg. A-E |
| 1983 | Hexanchus Bendix-Almgreen p. 2 |
| 1983 | Hexanchus Thies p. 18 |
| 1987 | Hexanchus Kumar and Loyal p. 62 |
| 1991 | Hexanchus Müller and Diedrich p. 14 |
| 1993 | Hexanchus Long et al. p. 655 |
| 1994 | Hexanchus Cione and Reguero p. 5 |
| 1999 | Hexanchus Underwood and Mitchell |
| 2001 | Hexanchus Purdy et al. p. 84 |
| 2002 | Hexanchus Sepkoski |
| 2013 | Hexanchus Guinot et al. p. 595 |
| 2013 | Hexanchus Otero et al. p. 21 figs. Fg. 5: 1-6 |
| 2017 | Hexanchus Siversson and Machalski p. 442 |
| 2018 | Hexanchus Kent p. 57 |
| 2019 | Hexanchus Cappetta et al. p. 1130 |
| 2022 | Hexanchus Feichtinger et al. p. 4 |
| 2024 | Hexanchus Feichtinger et al. p. 4 |
| 2025 | Hexanchus Landau et al. p. 32 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
G. Hexanchus Rafinesque 1810 [sixgill shark]
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†Hexanchus agassizi Cappetta 1976
†Hexanchus andersoni Jordan 1907
†Hexanchus gigas Sismonda 1857
†Hexanchus gracilis Davis 1887
Hexanchus griseus Bonaterre 1788 [bluntnose sixgill shark]
†Hexanchus hookeri Ward 1979
†Hexanchus microdon Agassiz 1835
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: o = order, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Wagner 2023 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Aptian to the top of the Calabrian or 121.40000 to 0.77400 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 113.2 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 113.2 Ma
Collections (124 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aptian | Japan (Iwate) | Hexanchus microdon (210766) | |
| Late/Upper Albian | Poland | Hexanchus sp. (213375) | |
| Early/Lower Cenomanian | Germany | Hexanchus microdon (210063) | |
| Late/Upper Cenomanian | Lithuania | Notidanus microdon (213719) | |
| Middle Cenomanian | United Kingdom (England) | Hexanchus sp. (213365) | |
| Late/Upper Cretaceous | Japan (Hokkaido) | Hexanchus microdon (161435) | |
| Late/Upper Turonian | Germany | Hexanchus microdon (276362) | |
| Coniacian | Angola | Notidanus microdon (60168) | |
| Middle Coniacian | France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) | Notidanus microdon (89988) | |
| Early/Lower Santonian | Japan | Hexanchus sp., Hexanchus microdon (219958) | |
| Late/Upper Santonian | Lebanon | Hexanchus sp., Hexanchus gracilis (92241) | |
| Late/Upper Santonian | Germany | Hexanchus microdon (177609) | |
| Late/Upper Santonian | United Kingdom (England) | Hexanchus sp. (213377) | |
| Santonian | Japan | Hexanchus sp. (219963 228160) | |
| Early/Lower Campanian | United Kingdom (England) | Hexanchus sp. (213561) | |
| Early/Lower Campanian | Germany (Niedersachsen) | Hexanchus gracilis (31992) | |
| Early/Lower Campanian | Japan | Hexanchus sp. (228161) | |
| Early/Lower Campanian | Germany | Hexanchus gracilis (228233) | |
| Early/Lower Campanian | Belgium | Notidanus microdon (242027) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Japan (Ehime) | Hexanchus microdon (161436) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Israel | Hexanchus microdon (35443 35444 214862) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Angola | Hexanchus microdon (275709) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian | Canada (British Columbia) | Hexanchus microdon (221571 221572) | |
| Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian | Syria | Hexanchus sp. (117849 117850 117852) | |
| Early/Lower Maastrichtian | Egypt | Hexanchus microdon (275565) | |
| Early/Lower Maastrichtian | Israel | Hexanchus microdon (214864) Hexanchus sp. (214865) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | Morocco | Hexanchus microdon (99627) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (North Carolina) | Notidanodon sp. (241417) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | New Zealand (South Island) | Hexanchus sp. (106757) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | Austria | Hexanchus microdon (228232 228907 228908 228909) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (Texas) | Hexanchus sp. (61738) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian - Early/Lower Paleocene | USA (New Jersey) | Hexanchus sp. (26819) | |
| Danian | USA (New Jersey) | Hexanchus sp. (26820) | |
| Danian | Morocco | Hexanchus sp. (137838) | |
| Danian | Denmark | Hexanchus microdon (241430) Hexanchus sp. (241429) | |
| Danian | Sweden | Hexanchus sp. (90575 90576) | |
| Danian | Austria | Hexanchus sp. (233260 233261) | |
| Early/Lower Paleocene | USA (New Jersey) | Hexanchus sp., Hexanchus microdon (62840) | |
| Thanetian | USA (New Jersey) | Hexanchus ensis (3113) | |
| Thanetian | USA (California) | Hexanchus microdon (189952) | |
| Wasatchian | USA (Virginia) | Hexanchus sp. (15595) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | Jordan | Hexanchus sp. (65225) | |
| Ypresian | India (Himachal Pradesh) | Hexanchus sp. (31267) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom (England) | Hexanchus agassizi (3260 204217) | |
| Ypresian - Lutetian | Antarctica (Seymour Island) | Hexanchus sp. (149633) | |
| Ypresian - Lutetian | Netherlands | Hexanchus hookeri (276465) | |
| Lutetian | France | Hexanchus agassizi (74858) | |
| Lutetian | Ukraine | Hexanchus sp. (211009) | |
| Lutetian - Bartonian | Argentina (Santa Cruz) | Hexanchus agassizi (230269 230272 230273) | |
| Lutetian - Bartonian | Antarctica (Seymour Island) | Hexanchus sp. (53666) | |
| Middle Eocene | Ukraine (Crimea) | Hexanchus sp. (140018) | |
| Bartonian | Spain | Hexanchus agassizi (141924) | |
| Priabonian | Egypt | Hexanchus agassizi (96952) Hexanchus sp. (137542 137543 137545 137547 137549 137550 137551 137553 137554 137557 137564 137568 137569 137574) | |
| Priabonian | Jordan | Hexanchus sp. (32899) | |
| Early/Lower Oligocene | Japan (Fukuoka) | Hexanchus sp. (161440) | |
| Early/Lower Oligocene | Japan (Fukushima) | Hexanchus sp. (161439) | |
| Chattian | New Zealand (South Otago) | Notidanus gigas (45653) | |
| Chattian | Australia (South Australia) | Hexanchus agassizi (45792) | |
| Chattian | USA (California) | Hexanchus aus, Hexanchus bus (11601) | |
| Miocene | Japan (Saitama) | Hexanchus sp. (161441) | |
| Miocene | Japan (Hiroshima) | Hexanchus sp. (161447) | |
| Burdigalian | Malta (Bahrija) | Hexanchus griseus (161386) | |
| Langhian | USA (California) | Hexanchus sp. (59059) | |
| Middle Miocene | Japan (Hokuriku) | Hexanchus gigas (161492 161495 161496) | |
| Middle Miocene | Japan (Shimane) | Hexanchus serratissimus (52017) | |
| Middle Miocene | Japan (Gifu) | Hexanchus sp. (161445) | |
| Middle Miocene | India (Orissa) | Hexanchus sp. (46365) | |
| Middle Miocene - Late/Upper Miocene | Chile (Huasco) | Hexanchus sp. (223680) | |
| Badenian | Slovakia (Bratislava) | Hexanchus gigas (161996) | |
| Serravallian | France | Hexanchus vitulus (85338) | |
| Serravallian | France (Gironde) | Hexanchus nakamurai (161524 161527) | |
| Serravallian - Tortonian | Malta (Ras ii-Karraba) | Hexanchus griseus (161384) | |
| Tortonian | Portugal | Hexanchus griseus (276004) | |
| Tortonian | Denmark | Hexanchus primigenus (98312) | |
| Tortonian | USA (California) | Hexanchus sp. (13300) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Chile (Antwerpen) | Hexanchus griseus (154114) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Netherlands | Hexanchus gigas (53889) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Netherlands (Noord-Brabant) | Hexanchus griseus (162679) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Portugal | Hexanchus grlseus (56459) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Costa Rica (Limon) | Hexanchus sp. (162678) | |
| Tortonian - Messinian | Peru | Hexanchus gigas (46083) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene - Early/Lower Pliocene | Argentina (Rio Negro) | Hexanchus griseus (162669) | |
| Tortonian - Piacenzian | USA (California) | Hexanchus griseus (188305) | |
| Messinian | Algeria | Hexanchus gigas (186631) | |
| Messinian | USA (California) | Hexanchus sp. (117470) | |
| Messinian - Zanclean | Mexico (Baja) | Hexanchus griseus (154117) | |
| Zanclean | Italy | Hexanchus griseus (204946 276541) | |
| Zanclean | USA (North Carolina) | Hexanchus sp. (52582) | |
| Pliocene | Netherlands | Hexanchus griseus (276537) | |
| Calabrian | Italy (Umbria) | Hexanchus griseus (149603) |