Broadnose Sevengill Shark

The broadnose sevengill shark is an important coastal predator. In most areas of its range, the broadnose sevengill shark is displaced only by the white shark and orca as the top nearshore marine predator. White sharks are one of the few known predators of adult broadnose sevengill sharks.

During the 1930s and 40s, broadnose sevengill sharks were valued for their liver oil and were overfished in San Francisco Bay. Even after this fishery collapsed, the popularity of the movie Jaws renewed interest in shark fishing. Fishing competitions and commercial sport fishing depleted populations of broadnose sevengill sharks in San Francisco Bay. In Australia and the United States broadnose sevengill sharks are targeted by sport fishermen. Some commercial fisheries catch these sharks as bycatch and sell them for human consumption. Chinese fisheries target broadnose sevengill sharks for leather and liver oil.