Original scientific article UDK 597.315.1:591.9(262.2) Received: 2013-05-08 BLUNTNOSE SIXGILL SHARK, HEXANCHUS GRISEUS (CHONDRICHTHYES: HEXANCHIDAE), CAUGHT BY COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS IN THE SEAS OF TURKEY BETWEEN 1967 AND 2013 Hakan KABASAKAL Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mahallesi, Mentejoglu caddesi, idil apt., No: 30, D: 4, Umraniye, TR-34764 Istanbul, Turkey E-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com ABSTRACT One hundred and fifty specimens of Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) were caught by commercial fishing vessels in the seas of Turkey, between 16 July 1967 and 4 February 2013. Regarding the number of captured specimens per marine areas, the highest number of captures was recorded in the Sea of Marmara (90 specimens; 60 %), followed by the Aegean (41 specimens; 27.3 %), Mediterranean (15 specimens; 10 %) and Black (3 specimens; 2 %) seas. A single stranded individual was also recorded in the fanakkale Strait. Regarding the number of recorded specimens it is obvious that the Sixgill Shark Data Bank of Turkey holds a significant number of H. griseus specimens caught in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, both reported in historical and contemporary studies. The sex ratio of the examined specimens of H. griseus is 1:2.61 in favour of females. Analysis of the fishing gear used for 72 of 150 examined sixgill sharks indicates that the most common fishing gear used to catch H. griseus is purse-seine, followed by several types of bottom fishing gear. Total length of the recorded specimens ranged between 50 and > 650 cm TL for both sexes; however, catches were dominated by two size groups, 250-350 cm and 350-450 cm TL, respectively. Key words: sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus,Turkey, occurrence, eastern Mediterranean SQUALO CAPOPIATTO, HEXANCHUS GRISEUS (CHONDRICHTHYES: HEXANCHIDAE), CATTURATO DA PESCHERECCI COMMERCIALI NEI MARI DELLA TURCHIA NEL PERIODO 1967-2013 SINTESI Centocinquanta esemplari di Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) sono stati catturati da pescherecci com-merciali nei mari della Turchia fra il 16 luglio 1967 ed il 4 febbraio 2013. Il numero più alto di catture è stato re-gistrato nel mar di Marmara (90 esemplari; 60 %), seguito dall'Egeo (41 esemplari; 27,3 %), dal Mediterraneo (15 esemplari; 10 %) e dal mar Nero (3 esemplari; 2 %). Un individuo arenato è stato inoltre rinvenuto nello stretto dei Dardanelli. Visto l'alto numero di esemplari catturati, risulta ovvio che la banca dati turca dello squalo capopiatto detiene un numero significante di individui di H. griseus catturati nel Mediterraneo orientale, il che emerge sia da studi storici che contemporanei. Il rapporto tra i sessi negli esemplari di H. griseus esaminati è di 1:2,61 a favore delle femmine. L'analisi degli attrezzi da pesca usati per 72 esemplari ha evidenziato che la maggior parte di essi è stata catturata con la senna a sacco, seguita da diversi tipi di attrezzi da pesca di fondo. La lunghezza totale degli esemplari catturati variava da 50 a più di 650 cm per entrambi i sessi. Tuttavia, due gruppi di dimensioni sono risultati dominanti, ossia fra i 250 e i 350 cm, e fra i 350 e i 450 cm di lunghezza totale. Parole chiave: squalo capopiatto, Hexanchus griseus,Turchia, presenza, Mediterraneo orientale INTRODUCTION The presence of the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788), one of the largest apex predators in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters, has been well documented in specific studies on the species (e.g., Vaillant, 1901; Sagarra, 1932; Desbrosses, 1938; Barrull & Mate, 2000; Capape et al, 2003, 2004; Celona et al, 2005; Vella & Vella, 2010), and in general icthyological studies (e.g., Tortonese, 1956; Bini, 1967; Ben-Tuvia, 1971; Capape, 1977; Boseman, 1984; Compa-gno, 1984; Lipej et al, 2004; Serena, 2005). Records of H. griseus in the seas of Turkey has been pioneered by Ninni (1923) and followed by several authors (Deveciyan, 1926; Ak§iray, 1987; Merig, 1995; Kabasakal, 2011). During the last decade, our knowledge on distribution and biology of the bluntnose sixgill shark caught in Turkish waters has remarkably increased. Although, the first writings on the presence of H. griseus in Turkish waters dates back to the early 1920s (Ninni, 1923; Deveciyan, 1926), the bluntnose sixgill shark has always been neglected in ichthyological research until late 1990s. Due to this scientific ignorance, a profound lack of knowledge on bluntnose sixgill sharks from Turkish waters, has dominated almost the entire 20th century. Although no targeted fishery is carried out on H. griseus in Turkish waters, historical and contemporary reports by newspapers suggest the bluntnose sixgill shark has always been a subject of public display in fishmongers (Kabasakal, 2010a). Unfortunately, this public attention has been mostly in the form of promoting a fear of sharks, and caused the formation and growing of an artificial fishing pressure on H. griseus in the course of time. The sole favourable aspect of capturing and subsequent displaying the specimens of H. griseus was that, they have been the focus of several pioneering studies on the biology of this magnificient shark from Turkish waters. In order to create a database on sharks in Turkish waters, the Ichthyological Research Society (IRS) has been carrying out regular surveys on sharks, including H. griseus, since 2000. In previous studies on H. griseus carried out by IRS, Kabasakal (1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010a, b) reported data on reproductive biology and stomach contents of H. griseus specimens caught by commercial fishing vessels. Following these pioneering studies, the ongoing research led to the capture of further specimens, mostly landed by commercial fishing fleets along the Anatolian coast. The primary subject of the present study is to update the status of the bluntnose sixgill shark from Turkish waters, in the light of published and new data. Furthermore, the Sixgill Shark Data Bank (SSDB) of Turkey, which is based on the survey of scientific and popular literature, as well as field surveys, is presented as a full list for the first time. This data bank is expected to become a valuable data source on H. griseus from the eastern Mediterranean region, as well. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study is part of an extensive research project (KANIT Project - Türk Sularinda Ya§ayan Köpekbaliklarinin * / W C Fig. 1: Map showing the approximate locality of captures of Hexanchus griseus specimens in the present study. Numbers on the map are same as the numbers given in the "map plot" column in Table 1. Sl. 1: Zemljevid, ki prikazuje približno lokacijo ulova primerkov Hexanchus griseus, obravnavanih v članku. Številke na zemljevidu se ujemajo s številkami v stolpcu »map plot« v Tabeli 1. Tesbiti), which was initiated in 2000 by IRS, in order to clarify the current status of shark species in the seas of Turkey. Examined specimens of H. griseus, which are included in the SSDB of Turkey, were obtained from the following sources: (a) specimens landed at fishing ports; (b) specimens displayed at fishmongers; (c) specimens preserved in university collections or personnal collections; (d) records of specimens in ichthyological literature; and (e) records of specimens in popular media, such as newspapers, angling magazines, etc. Total length (TL) of the examined sixgill sharks were measured with a measuring tape to the nearest 0.5 cm. TL is the distance between the tip of the snout and the tip of the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin, where the caudal fin is placed in it's natural position. Examined sixgill sharks were sexed, state of maturity of gonads recorded, and tissue samples, teeth or complete sets of upper and lower jaws were dissected. Weight data of almost all specimens was extracted from the fishing logs. Data of fishing gear, depth and location were verified following fishing log checks. Regarding the historical or contemporary records of six-gill sharks, based on news published in popular media, every record was verified following the interviews with fishermen, who caught the corresponding sixgill shark. Individual photographs, and tissue, teeth and jaw samples of the examined sixgill sharks, as well as electronic and printed copies of newspaper records held in the archives of IRS. Approximate localities of capture of H. griseus specimens along the Turkish coast are shown on the map in Figure 1. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The fishing data and remarks on 150 specimens of H. griseus are presented in Table 1. Regarding the number of captured specimens per marine area, the highest number of captures was recorded in the Sea of Marmara (90 specimens; 60 %), followed by the Aegean (41 specimens; 27.3 %), Mediterranean (15 specimens; 10 %) and Black (3 specimens; 2 %) seas. A single stranded individual was also recorded in the ^anakkale Strait (see the Strait of Dardanelles section of Table 1). To date several researchers have reported on the capture of H. griseus off the Turkish coast and along the eastern Mediterranean, as well (e.g., Ninni, 1923; Deve-ciyan, 1926; Konsuloff & Drensky, 1943; Ben-Tuvia, 1971) Following these historical records of H. griseus from the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the occurrence of the blun-tnose sixgill shark in the area has also been reported in several contemporary studies (Goren & Galil, 2002; Jones et a/., 2003; Sion et al., 2004; Golani et al., 2006; Kabasakal, 2011). Regarding the number of recorded specimens it is obvious that SSDB of Turkey holds a significant number of H. griseus specimens caught in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, both in reported historical and contemporary studies. Based on a literary review and field observations conducted off the Maghrebin shore (Algerian and Tunisian coasts), Capape et al. (2004) recorded 167 sixgill sharks from the Mediterranean. During a study of H. griseus in the eastern North Sicilian waters (central Mediterranean Sea), Celona et al. (2005) examined 37 specimens captured by commercial fisheries. Barrull & Mate (2000) recorded 62 specimens of H. griseus captured by commercial fishermen in the Catalan Sea (western Mediterranean Sea), off the Spanish coast. In a more recent study by Vella & Vella (2010), authors report on 435 specimens of H. griseus landed by fishermen at the Malta fish market, between 2004 and 2008. The sex ratio of the examined specimens of H. griseus is 1:2.61 in favour of females, which corroborates other findings where similar ratios were observed on varying sample sizes in the Mediterranean Sea (Barrull & Mate, 2000 (1:1.53); Capape et al., 2003 (1:1.45); Celona et al., 2005 (1:1.69); Kabasakal, 2004 (1:2.25), 2006 (1:2.54), 2009 (1:2.56)). This numerical dominance of females may indicate some form of sex segregation, although several adults would be required before such a conclusion could be drawn. Analysis of the fishing gear used for 72 of 150 examined sixgill sharks shows that the most common fishing gear used to catch H. griseus is purse-seine, followed by several types of bottom fishing gear, e.g. gill- and trammel-nets, bottom-trawls (Fig. 2). A similar heteroge-nity in fishing gear used to catch H. griseus was reported by Celona et al. (2005) in the eastern north Sicilian waters, where the examined specimens caught by bottom and pelagic long-liners, trammel and gill-netters. On the contrary, Vella & Vella (2010) underlined that the most common fishing gear used to catch H. griseus in Maltese waters is bottom long-lines, which produced 97.6 % of total catches. Besides commercial fishermen, the recent escalation in recreational angling for H. griseus is Fig. 2: Type of fishing gears used to catch H. griseus specimens in the present study. Graph is based on the data of 72 specimens. Sl. 2: Vrsta ribolovne opreme, s katero so bili ulovljeni primerki H. griseus, obravnavani v članku. Graf je nastal na podlagi podatkov o 72 primerkih. Fig. 3: Size groups of H. griseus specimens examined in the present study. Graph is based on the data of 120 specimens of which the total lengths were accurately measured. Sl. 3: Velikostne skupine primerkov H. griseus, obravnavanih v članku. Graf je nastal na podlagi podatkov o 120 primerkih, pri katerih smo natančno izmerili dolžino. a growing threat, which contributes to an increase in the fishing pressure on sixgill sharks (Williams et a/., 2009). In the present study, an adolescent sixgill shark was also caught by recreational anglers at 1000 m depth (Tab. 1, sp No 41, in the Sea of Marmara section of the table). Total length of the recorded specimens range between 50 and > 650 cm TL for both sexes; however, catches were dominated by two size groups, 250-350 cm and 350-450 cm TL, respectively (Fig. 3). Vella & Vella (2010) reported that in Maltese waters, female H. griseus ranged between 74 and 400 cm, and males between 106 and 356 cm TL. According to Celona et a/. (2005), a specimen caught in December 2000 in the Messina Strait had an estimated total length of 500-600 cm, su- Fig. 4: Sixgill shark in the fish market (sp No. 42 in Sea of Marmara section of Table 1) Sl. 4: Šesteroškrgar na ribji tržnici (primerek št. 42 v odseku Marmarsko morje v Tabeli 1) ggested to be the largest ever recorded for H. griseus. During the present study a specimen caught on 3 December 2006 in the Bay of Gokova (southeastern Aegean Sea) its' total length measured on deck was reported by the fisherman to be ca. 700 cm, which is well above the size records for this species (Tab. 1, sp No 16, in Aegean Sea section of the table). CONCLUSIONS Our modern understanding of H. griseus in Turkish seas, particularly its' occurrence in fisheries, started with the decline of many commercially important species due to overfishing. This "ecological revolution" fundamentally changed our mindset of H. griseus from invaluable to a possibily valuable species. Still being an un-targeted species for Turkish marine fisheries, at present many fishermen suppose that even the bluntnose sixgill shark may provide some benefits as display objects to attract customers attention (Fig. 4). This capture-display-discard scenario has happened for almost all of the examined sixgill sharks in the present study. In a recent study analysing the newspaper and internet portrayals of H. griseus caught in Turkish seas, Kabasakal (2010a) stated that in 45.6 % of the analysed articles the tenor of coverage was clearly negative, promoting the "fear of shark". Furthermore, the author also underlined that a utilitarian or self-seeking perspective prevailed, appearing in 62.9 % of the articles examined. A clear hypocrisy in mankind swinging between fear and benefit is shading the survival of this fragile species in Turkish seas. The last 20 years has witnessed the formation of SSDB of Turkey. Each article dealing with several episodes of this magnificient sharks' life story is a significant contribution for this long-lasting archival effort. Although there are still many gaps in the great picture extant, it is the first time that detailed data is available on the distribution, occurrence and capture of H. griseus in Turkish marine regions. However, new studies provide answers with new questions, as well. Since so little is known about their Pontic, Marmaric and Levanten populations, could they be in even greater danger. A clear lack of information on the movements of the specimens along Turkish coasts underlines the necessity of tagging surveys of H. griseus in the mentioned region to understand the spatial and bathymetric movement patterns of the species. Tab. 1: List of H. griseus specimens caught by commercial fishing vessels in the seas of Turkey between 1967 and 2013. The recent update in Sixgill Shark Data Bank of Turkey was carried out on 27 Februaray 2013. The numbers under the "map plot" column are same as the station numbers shown on the map in Figure 1. Total regional catch numbers of respective marine areas are given in brackets. Tab. 1: Seznam primerkov H. griseus, ki so jih ribiške ladje ujele med leti 1967 in 2013 v turških vodah. Podatki v turški banki podatkov o šesteroškrgarjih so bili nazadnje posodobljeni 27. februarja 2013. Številke v stolpcu »map plot« se ujemajo s številkami lokacij na zemljevidu, prikazanem na Sliki 1. Skupno število ulovljenih primerkov za posamično morsko območje je navedeno v oklepaju. No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference Black Sea (3 speciemens) 1 2 ? 600 ? Prebosphoric waters of the Black Sea 5 Feb 2001 ? Before eviscerated and sold, displayed in a shopping mall in Kartal, istanbul. Kabasakal (2004) 2 1 3 350 M Amasra 19 Nov 2004 ? Captured by fisherman Rafet Marti 3 miles off-shore; type of fishing gear is unknown (probably gill-net); sold to a local restaurant. Kabasakal (2005) 3 2 3.5 675 ? §ile 8 Oct 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Muddet Cimen and displayed to public in a fishmonger in Be§ikta§ market, istanbul. Present study Sea of Marmara (90 specimens) 1 3 3.5 ? ? Prince Islands 16 July 1967 ca. 10 Captured by fisherman Ahmet Reis, by means of gill-netting, 20 m off the coast. Present study 2 3 ? ? F Prince islands 26 Nov 1974 ca.200 Captured by fisherman Turgut Reis, by means of gill-netting; before landing at the istanbul Whole Sale Fishmarket, sixgill shark struggled nearly 12 hours. Kabasakal (2004) 3 7 3.5 ? ? Marmara island 1987 ca.350 Captured by means of shark-net (a special type of gill-net with large mesh openings) in a vicinity between §arkoy and Marmara island. Kabasakal (2004) 4 7 4 ? ? Marmara island 1988 ca.300 Captured by means of shark-net in a vicinity between §arkoy and Marmara island. Kabasakal (2004) 5 3 3 ? M Tuzla Jan 1989 150 Captured by fisherman Kenan Balci, by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2004) 6 3 3 ? M Tuzla Nov 1989 ca.175 Captured by fisherman Kenan Balci, by means of purse-seining. Remains of blue fish (Pomatomus saltator) found in the stomach content; claspers almost calcified. Kabasakal (2004) 7 3 4.5 450 F Tuzla Dec 1989 ca.250 Captured by fisherman Kenan Balci, by means of purse-seining. Remains of horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 8 3 5 ? F Yalova May 1990 ? Captured by fisherman Kenan Balci, by means of purse-seining. Remains of spurdog (Squalus spp.), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and dolphin found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 9 3 2.5 ? F Fenerbahge Dec 1990 50 Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2004) 10 3 3.5 500 F Heybeliada 19 Dec 1990 ? -- Kabasakal (2004) 11 4 ? ? ? Mimarsinan 1991 350 Captured by means of trammel-netting in slope waters. Merig (1995) 12 3 3 ? F Tuzla Feb 1995 175 Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of bony fish remains (mostly horse mackerel) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 13 8 1.2 10 F Ho§koy Mar 1996 ca.100 Captured by means of trammel-netting; teeth from upper and lower jaws are preserved at IRS. Kabasakal (2004) 14 5 4 350 ? Yalova 11 Sept 1996 150 Captured by means of trammel-netting off Esenkoy coast. Kabasakal (2004) 15 6 4.5 500 F Tekirdag 9 Dec 1996 ca.350 Two embryos found in uteri; remains of horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) observed in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 16 6 2 ? ? Tekirdag 11 Feb 1997 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 17 6 4 350 F Tekirdag 18 Feb 1997 175 Remains of horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) and hake (M. merluccius), and several food cans found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 18 8 2.5 ? M Ho§koy 20 Feb 1997 50 Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (1998) 19 8 4.5 ? F Ho§koy 27 Feb 1997 ca.120 Captured by means of purse-seining; 33 embryos, average total length 62.6 cm, found in uteri; remains of horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), as well as plastic items found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 20 4 ? 700 F Northern Marmara 19 July 1998 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 21 3 5.5 ? M Bay of izmit 13 Dec 1998 ca.175 Captured by means of trammel-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 22 4 ? ? F Northern Marmara 20 Oct 1999 ? Remains of anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 23 4 5 600 ? Northern Marmara 14 July 2000 ? -- Kabasakal (2004) 24 4 5 300 F Northern Marmara 18 July 2000 ? Remains of spurdog (Squalus spp.), hake (M. merluccius) and horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2004) 25 6 4.5 ? F Tekirdag 7 Feb 2001 ? Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2004) 26 3 2.5 ? M Buyukada 23 Sept 2001 300 Captured by means of gill-netting; claspers not calcified. Kabasakal (2004) 27 3 3.1 650 F Tuzla 6 Jan 2002 ca.150 Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2004) No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 28 8 3 200 M Karabiga 2003 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 29 8 6 ca.1000 F Southern Marmara 23 July 2004 ? Remains of dolphin blubber and smooth-hound dogfish (Mustelus spp.) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 30 8 5 ca.1000 ? Southern Marmara 23 July 2004 ? Remains of dolphin blubber and bony fish (Scombridae) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 31 5 3.6 500 F Gemlik 27 Sept 2004 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of unidentified bony fish. cephalopods and dolphins found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 32 5 3.5 400 F Gemlik 25 Nov 2004 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of hake (M. merluccius) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 33 5 4.5 400 ? Silivri 25 Nov 2004 ? Remains of unidentified dogfish and hake (M. merluccius) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 34 4 3.5 300 F Büyükgek-mece 29 Nov 2004 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of unidentified squid and bony fish found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 35 7 4 450 F Bandirma 29 Nov 2004 ? Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2006) 36 7 4 300 ? Southern Marmara 7 Dec 2004 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2006) 37 7 3.5 400 ? Bandirma 26 Dec 2004 ? Captured by means of gill-netting; remains of hake (M. merluccius) and sardine (Clupeidae) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 38 4 3 ? ? Büyükgek-mece 12 Feb 2005 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of hake (M. merluccius) and horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 39 4 4.5 ? ? Yejilköy 20 Feb 2005 ? Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2006) 40 5 5 1000 F imrali island 9 May 2005 ? Captured by the fisherman Serdar ¡§can; purchased by a seafood company. Present study 41 3 2 ? M Qnarcik trench June 2005 1000 Captured by sport anglers by means of deep-deployed shark tackle. Present study 42 4 3 350 M Gürpinar 18 Feb 2006 ? Captured by means of purse-seining around 04:00 hours before sun rise; claspers almost calcified; teeth from lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 43 3 2 200 ? Yalova 31 Aug 2006 ? Entangled in a net deployed to catch pouting (Merlangius merlangus). Present study 44 6 2.5 200 F Tekirdag 6 Sept 2006 ? Captured by means of purse-seining after midnight; before pulling the boat sixgill shark struggled for nearly 6 hours. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 45 4 5 650 ? Florya 22 Dec 2006 ? Displayed in Florya, istanbul for a few days. Present study 46 4 3.6 600 ? Yejilkoy 25 Dec 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Hur Civlez and displayed for a few days. Present study 47 6 3.5 320 M Tekirdag 22 Jan 2007 240 Captured by gill-netter Hasan Ulker and sold. Present study 48 4 3 150 F Silivri 10 Feb 2007 ? Displayed in fishmonger in Kadikoy, istanbul for a few days. Present study 49 5 5 750 F imrali island 30 Mar 2007 ? Captured by the fisherman Mustafa Guler. Present study 50 8 6 600 F Biga 16 Apr 2007 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; displayed in Biga and delivered to istanbul to auction. Present study 51 4 4 500 ? Kumkapi 13 Sept 2007 ? Captured by means of purse-seining in the early morning. Present study 52 4 6 1000 F Buyukgek-mece 11 Dec 2007 ? Captured by purse-seiner Kenan Balci. Present study 53 4 5 1000 F Gurpinar 12 Dec 2007 ? Captured by purse-seiner Kenan Balci. Present study 54 4 6 1000 F Gurpinar 18 Dec 2007 ? Captured after midnight; displayed at a fishmonger in istanbul. Present study 55 3 3.5 300 F Yalova-Qnarcik 8 Feb 2008 ? Captured by fishermen Orhan and Ayhan Kele§ and displayed at a fishmonger in Feneryolu market, istanbul; teeth from jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 56 4 1.8 50 F Silivri 15 Mar 2008 25 Captured by means of purse-seining and displayed in a fishmonger at Buyukdere market, istanbul. Present study 57 4 2.5 200 M Silivri 19 Mar 2008 30 Captured by means of purse-seining and displayed at Tarihi Canli Balik Lokantasi in Kadikoy, istanbul; upper and lower jaws are preserved at IRS. Present study 58 4 2.5 220 ? Silivri 22 Mar 2008 50 Captured by means of purse-seining. Present study 59 5 4 280 ? imrali island 17 Apr 2008 ? Captured by two fishinboats after 5 hours of struggle; displayed to public at the fishmonger called 'Gegiciler Balikgilik' in Bandirma. Present study 60 3 2.33 100 M Prince islands 1 Nov 2008 ? Displayed in fishmonger called Okyanus Balikgilik in Erenkoy, istanbul; claspers not calcified and shorter than pelvic fins; teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 61 ? 4 1500 F Sea of Marmara 22 Jan 2009 ? Captured by fisherman Ekrem Varici; exact fishing locality is unknown; sixgill shark misidentified as Galeorhinus galeus; mass surely overestimated. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 62 6 3.5 ca.500 F Marmara Ereglisi 6 Mar 2009 ca.100 Captured by means of purse-seining and displayed in fishmonger called Yildiz Balikçilik. in Bostanci market, istanbul; tissue sample and teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 63 3 3.7 1000 (?) ? Maltepe 13 Mar 2009 ? Captured by means of purse-seining. Present study 64 4 5 800 F Gurpinar 7 Sept 2009 ca.100 Captured by purse-seiner Kenan Balci and displayed in a shopping center in Beylikduzu, istanbul. Present study 65 3 3.5 600 ? Prince islands 2 Oct 2009 ? Captured by fisherman §ahin Altun who departed from Eskihisar (northern Bay of izmit) and deployed nets in a vicinity off Prince islands; sixgill shark pulled the boat before sun rise in the early morning and displayed in Gebze (northwestern Bay of izmit). Present study 66 5 3 ? F imrali island 11 Nov 2009 ? Type of fishing gear unknown; displayed at a shopping mall in istanbul; tissue sample and teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 67 5 ca.5 550 F Zeytinbagi 18 Nov 2009 ? Captured by fisherman Huseyin Bayraktar 500 m off the coast; shark entangled the gill-net before dawn and pulled on the fishing boat 'Bayraktar 3' before sun rise. Present study 68 5 3.5 500 ? Bay of Gem-lik 25 Nov 2009 ? Captured by the fishermen from the village called 'Kapakli'; sixgill shark entangled in the nets deployed for horsemackerel (Trachurus spp.); displayed to public at Gemlik Fish Market. Present study 69 4 3 150 ? Gurpinar 2 Dec 2009 ? Captured by a commercial purse-seiner and displayed in Gurpinar at the fishmonger called 'Balikçi Kenan'. Present study 70 4 5 750 F Gurpinar 2 Dec 2009 ? Captured by a commercial purse-seiner and displayed in Gurpinar at the fishmonger called 'Balikçi Kenan'. Present study 71 6 2.5 300 F §arkoy 3 Dec 2009 ? Captured by the shrimp beam-trawler; displayed at the fishing port of $arkoy. Present study 72 5 3.5 370 ? Tirilye 8 Dec 2009 ? Captured off Tirilye coast and transported to inegol; displayed to public at the fishmonger owned by Varol Sonmez. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 73 7 4 420 F Bandirma 15 Dec 2009 ? Captured by the fisherman Omer Kocamanlar and his crew; fishermen claimed that the sixgill shark was torn the nets; sixgill shark displayed to public in Bursa. Present study 74 6 3 250 ? §arkoy 26 Dec 2009 35 Captured by means of coastal trammel-netters and delivered to istanbul to auction. Present study 75 IB 4.1 560 ? Prebospho-rus (Marmara) 12 Nov 2010 ? Captured by the fisherman Kenan Balci and displayed to public. Present study 76 IB 2.9 320 ? Prebospho-rus (Marmara) 12 Nov 2010 ? Captured by the fisherman Kenan Balci and displayed to public. Present study 77 IB 1.85 210 ? Prebospho-rus (Marmara) 12 Nov 2010 ? Captured by the fisherman Kenan Balci and displayed to public. Present study 78 6 3 250 ? Kumbag 15 Nov 2010 ? Captured by fisherman Faruk Goymen and landed at Kumbag fishing port. Present study 79 3 2.1 125 ? Yalova 25 Feb 2011 ? Displayed to public in istanbul. Present study 80 4 2.2 125 ? Silivri 25 Feb 2011 ? Displayed to public in istanbul. Present study 81 6 3 250 F Marmara Ereglisi 31 Mar 2011 ? Captured by fisherman Suleyman Cojkungay and sold to a fish restaurant at Canakkale. 2.5 TL per kilogram. Present study 82 4 3.5 ? M Ahirkapi 17 Sept 2011 ? Discarded carcass was found on the bottom at a depth of 7 m by the author during the end of a dive. Present study 83 3 4.2 900 F Tuzla 17 Oct 2011 ? Captured by a commercial purse-seiner and displayed to public. Present study 84 5 3.2 312 F Karacabey 13 Nov 2011 ? Captured by a commercial purse-seiner and delivered to istanbul city. Present study 85 8 3.2 291 F §arkoy 12 Jan 2012 ? Captured by a gill-netter and delivered to istanbul city. Present study 86 6 5 1000 F Marmara Ereglisi 3 Apr 2012 ? Captured by commercial fishermen and delivered to Present study istanbul city for the auction; type of the fishing gear unknown. 87 3 4.5 ? ? istanbul city 15 Dec 2012 ? Captured by commercial fishermen and displayed to public in the fishmonger. Present study 88 8 3 250 ? §arkoy 28 Dec 2012 ? Captured by a gill-netter 3 miles off the coastline; delivered to istanbul city and displayed in the fishmonger. Present study 89 3 ? 500 F istanbul city 6 Jan 2013 ? Captured by a gill-netter 3 miles off the coastline; delivered to istanbul city and displayed in the fishmonger. Present study 90 4 2.5 300 ? Silivri 26 Feb 2013 ? Captured by seine-net and displayed to public. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference Strait of Dardanelles (1 specimen) 1 ÇB 4.5 ? F Çanakkale 5 June 1999 ? Stranded specimen. Kabasakal (2006) Aegean Sea (41 specimens) 1 12 4 1000 M Karaburun 23 July 1993 ? -- Kabasakal (2004) 2 14 4 800 F Kujadasi 10 July 1994 ? -- Kabasakal (2004) 3 10 3.5 310 ? Gokgeada 1997 400 Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2004) 4 10 3.6 ? M Canakkale 1998 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2004) 5 9 4 ? M Bay of Saroz 20 July 1998 250 Captured by means of bottom-trawling; claspers calcified. Kabasakal (2004) 6 9 4 ca.1000 ? Northern Aegean Sea 20 July 1998 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2006) 7 10 0.6 1.2 F Gokgeada 27 Oct 1999 380 Captured by means of bottom-trawling; unhealed umblical scar observed between the pectoral fins. Kabasakal (2004) 8 11 4 650 ? Altinoluk 6 Jan 2000 ? Captured by means of gill-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 9 10 4 500 ? Gokgeada 6 July 2000 ca.400 Captured by means of purse-seining. Kabasakal (2004) 10 16 5.2 1000 F Southern Aegean Sea 16 Feb 2001 ? Captured by means of purse-seining; remains of sword fish (Xiphias gladius) and dolphin blubber found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 11 16 5 570 F Southern Aegean Sea 16 Mar 2001 ? Captured by means of sword fish long-line; remains of bony fish (Scombridae, mainly tuna) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 12 9 4 ? F Bay of Saroz 24 Aug 2002 ? -- Kabasakal (2004) 13 11 ? 565 ? Bay of Edre-mit 25 Dec 2002 ? Captured by means of gill-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 14 13 3.5 280 ? Didim 14 Oct 2003 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting. Kabasakal (2004) 15 10 4.5 500 M Northern Aegean Sea 23 Sept 2004 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting; remains of hake (M. merluccius) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 16 14 4.1 600 ? Kujadasi 23 Nov 2005 ? Captured by the fisherman Sezgin Suluk and sold for 7 TL per kg. Present study 17 14 4.5 300 ? Kujadasi 18 Oct 2006 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling; delivered to Buca Fish Market, izmir. Present study 18 13 5 500 ? Alagati 24 July 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Ali Demir. Present study 19 15 4.5 1000 ? Bodrum 23 Aug 2006 ? Captured by the crew of fishing boat "Alize" and delivered to izmir for auction. Present study 20 15 5 550 ? Bodrum 28 Nov 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Mustafa Bircan and delivered to izmir or Antalya fishmarket for auction. Present study 21 15 6 600 ? Bodrum 28 Nov 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Mustafa Bircan and delivered to izmir or Antalya fishmarket for auction. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 22 13 3.6 600 ? Didim 28 Nov 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Osman Mansur near Cape of Tajburnu; sixgill shark pulled on deck around 05:30 hours. Present study 23 16 3.5 600 ? Bay of Gokova 2 Dec 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Mustafa Bircan. Present study 24 16 6 600 ? Bay of Gokova 3 Dec 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Mustafa Bircan; remains of a traveller jack (Lychia amia) found in the stomach content; sixgill shark struggled for 4.5 hours before pulled on deck; it was the first sixgill shark captured before specimen no. 23. Present study 25 16 7 700 ? Bay of Gokova 3 Dec 2006 ? Captured by fisherman Mustafa Bircan; remains of a traveller jack (L amia) found in the stomach content; sixgill shark struggled for 4.5 hours before pulled on deck; it was the second sixgill shark captured after specimen no. 24. Present study 26 13 4 920 F Didim 18 Jan 2007 ? Captured by fisherman Aydin Mansur near Cape of Tajburnu, around 04:00 hours. Present study 27 9 4 800 M Bay of Saroz 27 Mar 2007 ? Captured by fisherman Necmettin Kaya; delivered to istanbul and displayed to public at the fishmonger called Balikgi $afak. Present study 28 11 6 600 ? Babakale 31 Mar 2007 ? -- Present study 29 16 3 300 ? Datga 16 Jan 2009 ? Captured by fisherman Yilmaz Kahraman and delivered to izmir for auction; sixgill shark pulled on deck after midnight. Present study 30 10 5 750 F ^anakkale 20 Jan 2009 ? Delivered to istanbul and displayed to public at the fishmonger called Ugan Balikgi in Bahgelieveler, istanbul. Present study 31 9 4 ? F Bay of Saroz 4 Mar 2009 ? Delivered to istanbul and displayed to public at the fishmonger called Kardak Balikgilik in Umraniye, istanbul; tissue sample and teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 32 CB 3 ? ? Off the entrance of the Strait of Dardanelles 12 Mar 2009 ? Delivered to istanbul and displayed in a shopping mall; tissue sample and teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 33 9 ca.4 ? F Bay of Saroz 20 Apr 2009 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawlig and discarded ashore while still alive; sixgill shark not survived due to lack of homeostasis; video footage recorded by Dr. Ata Bilgili, istanbul is available at www. derintakip.blogspot.com Photographs of the specimen donated by Dr. Ata Bilgili are preserved in the IRS archieve. Present study 34 9 3.5 ? M Bay of Saroz 20 Apr 2009 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawlig and discarded ashore while still alive; sixgill shark not survived due to lack of homeostasis; photographs of the specimen donated by Dr. Ata Bilgili are preserved in the IRS archieve. Present study 35 11 3.5 150 F Behramkale 26 July 2009 ? Entangled in trammel nets; delivered to istanbul and sold for 5 TL per kg. Present study 36 14 4 700 F Kujadasi 6 Oct 2009 ? Captured by fisherman Gunal Dag on board of fishing boat 'Sonay'; sixgill shark entangled the nets 6 miles off-shore. Present study 37 14 3 1500 (?) ? Kujadasi 9 Oct 2009 ? Entangled trammel-nets deployed off Guvercinada and delivered to izmir for public display. Present study 38 10 2.20 ? F Canakkale 15 Nov 2009 ? Delivered to istanbul and displayed to public in a shopping mall in istinye, istanbul; tissue sample and teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. Present study 39 9 2.5 200 ? Saros Körfezi 12 Feb 2011 ? Entangled in gill nets and displayed to public in the fishmonger. Present study 40 17 3.85 400 F Fethiye 15 Mar 2011 ? Captured by fishermen Ali Akboyun, Ozay Gune§ and Yusuf Dikici off Gocek coast. Present study 41 10 5 1000 F Gökgeada - Semadirek channel 4 Feb 2013 300 Captured by a bottom-trawler between Gokgeada and Semadirek islands; landed at Enez fishingport and displayed to public. Present study Mediterranean Sea (15 specimens) 1 18 3 300 ? Alanya 1 Sept 2002 ? Captured off 2 miles from the coast by the long-liner Hasan Erik and sold for 5 TL per kg. Present study 2 18 2.5 ? F Antalya 16 Apr 2004 ? Captured by means of trammel-netting; remains of spurdog (Squalus spp.; 2 dorsal fins) and squid (Loligo spp.) found in the stomach content. Kabasakal (2006) 3 18 2.5 200 M Kemer 12 May 2004 ca.75 -- Kabasakal (2006) No Map plot TL (m) W (kg) Sex Locality Date Depth (m) Remarks Reference 4 19 5 600 F Mersin 27 Oct 2004 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2006) 5 21 3.5 400 F North of Cyprus 6 Nov 2004 ? Captured by means of bottom-trawling. Kabasakal (2006) 6 20 ? ca.1000 F Anamur 31 Dec 2005 ? Captured by fisherman Salih Erdem. Present study 7 21 2.6 220 M Mersin 26 Nov ? Delivered to istanbul and Present study 2006 displayed to public in Kadikoy fish market; claspers not calcified and shorter than pelvic fins; sperm sacs not contained semen; teeth from the lower jaw are preserved at IRS. 8 21 3 ca. 400 ? Silifke 12 Apr 2008 ? Captured off Ovacik coast by a commercial bottom-trawler. Present study 9 21 3 ca. 350 D Bozyazi 5 May 2008 ? Captured by the hand-liner Sadettin Kahveci 4 miles off the coast Present study 10 21 5 ca.1000 F Silifke 5 Mar 2009 ? Captured by fisherman Sava§ Capkan near Cape of Ta§ucu 5 to 6 miles off-shore. Present study 11 18 3 263 ? Bay of Antalya 28 Oct 2009 100 (?) Captured by means of drift-netting by fisherman Huseyin Kara. Present study 12 18 2.5 120 ? Bay of Antalya 28 Oct 2009 100 (?) Captured by means of drift-netting by fisherman Huseyin Kara. Present study 13 21 2 300 ? Ta§ucu 30 Nov 2009 ? Captured by means of a commercial bottom-trawler 6 miles off and displayed to public in Silifke. Present study 14 22 4.5 700 D Ta§ucu 10 Apr 2011 ? Captured by means of bottom set-net by fisherman Ayhan Uguz. Displayed to public in Silifke and than delivered to Antalya. Present study 15 18 2.5 220 ? Alanya 16 Aug 2011 ca. 50 Captured by means of bottom set-net by fisherman Huseyin Cakal. Displayed to public, then discarded. Present study ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Author wishes to thank the following persons for their kind, supportive and friendly contrubutions throughout this long-lasting journey: Mr. Kenan Balci (an Istanbul based fisherman), Ms. Evrim Kalkan (researcher at University of Bosphorus), Mr. S. Unsal Karhan (researcher at University of Istanbul), Mr. Ziya ^aylarba§i (an Istanbul based diver). Author also thanks to Mr. Gokhan Karaka§, an Istanbul based journalist who reported the first positive news on H. griseus, and to two anonymo- us referees for their critical reviews, providing valuable comments to improve the manuscript. Mr. Ate§ Evirgen financially suported the publication of the popular booklet Derin Takip - Bozcamgozun izinde (The Quest of Sixgill Shark). Mr. Mark Taylor, an Istanbul based scuba diving instructor and underwater photographer, for spending the effort for the english revision of the above text. Special thank goes to my wife Ozgur and my son Derin for their endless support and love. Without your patience and love I couldn't have done all of these. ŠESTEROŠKRGARJI, HEXANCHUS GRISEUS (CHONDRICHTHYES: HEXANCHIDAE), KI SO JIH RIBIŠKE LADJE UJELE V TURŠKIH VODAH MED LETI 1967 IN 2013 Hakan KABASAKAL Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mahallesi, Mentejoglu caddesi, idil apt., No: 30, D: 4, Umraniye, TR-34764 Istanbul, Turkey E-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com POVZETEK Med 16. julijem 1967 in 4. februarjem 2013 so ribiške ladje v turških vodah ujele sto petdeset primerkov še-steroškrgarja, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788). Glede na število ulovljenih primerkov si posamezna morska območja sledijo po naslednjem vrstnem redu: Marmarsko morje (90 primerkov; 60 %), Egejsko morje (41 primerkov; 27,3 %), Sredozemsko morje (15 primerkov; 10 %) in Črno morje (3 primerki; 2 %). O nasedlem primerku so poročali tudi v ožini Dardanele. Število opaženih oz. ujetih primerkov priča, da turška banka podatkov o šestero-škrgarjih hrani številne primerke, ujete v vzhodnem Sredozemlju, ki so bili obravnavani bodisi v starejših bodisi v sodobnih strokovnih člankih. Pri preučevanih primerkih znaša razmerje po spolu 1 : 2,61 v korist ženskega spola. Analiza ribolovne opreme, uporabljene pri ulovu 72 od 150 preučevanih šesteroškrgarjev, nakazuje, da se za ulov H. griseus najpogosteje uporablja zaporno plavarico, takoj zatem pa različne vrste opreme za demerzalni ribolov. Pri obeh spolih je dolžina ulovljenih primerkov znašala med 50 in > 650 cm, pri čemer sta prevladovali dve velikostni skupini, in sicer 250-350 cm ter 350-450 cm. Ključne besede: šesteroškrgar, Hexanchus griseus,Turčija, pojavljanje, vzhodno Sredozemlje REFERENCES Akfiray, F. (1987): Türkiye Deniz Baliklari ve Tayin Anahtari. 2nd Edition. Publications of Istanbul University, no. 3490, 811 p. Barrull, J. & I. 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