Sixgiller Pup at Redondo

[coachrenz]

Dove Redondo on 11/30, splashed at about 7:45 PM.

Was doing a Drysuit Orientation dive with my dive buddy and her new HighTide Drysuit.

On our way back up the slope, in about 25 fsw, she spotted a small shark, it was maybe 24 - 30 inches or so. She signaled me, my first thought was a small Spiny Dogfish, but, there were too many things that didn't seem right for that ID.

First thing I noticed were the eyes seemed different. Then I realized that the caudal fin wasn't right either. It had darker colored lobes on the dorsal and ventral ends of it. The behavior wasn't right either. It seemed to just hang out. I then realized that I needed to get close enough to count the gill slits to confirm the ID. But, it would stay just at the edge of light cannon light beam. We watched it for a minute or so before she headed down slope into the dark depths.

Got home, did some research, looked up some pics and I am convinced that it was a Sixgill Pup.

Alas, since I haven't yet replaced the flooded camera, Christmas is just around the corner, I have no pictures.

If anyone out there has some good quality pictures of Sixgill Pups, I would love to see them. Just to verify that what I saw is what I think I saw.

[Kirby]

I dove there the 29th at 8PM and saw a small shark on the sand flats past the boats that fits your description exactly, wonder if there are more or if it is the same one....

Kirby

[gcbryan]

Good find! I've never seen a Sixgill pup and would really like to. It's entirely possible that there are several around that area as they have rather large "litters". As long as the eyes were green and the dorsal fin was small and way back toward the caudal fin it sounds like a Sixgill pup for sure!

I've seen newly born Dogfish and Ratfish in the Aquarium and they look exactly like miniature adults.

Hopefully, there will be some more sightings. I've got to start going to Redondo more often!

[John Rawlings]

I remembered seeing a shot of a pup taken a while back and searched for it. There are supposed to be two more photos, but I don't seem to be able to find them:

http://divepictures.scubajason.com/2004 ... G0018.html

Is this similar to what you saw?

- John

[Kirby]

It looked more like a photo I found on this site, possibly a seven gill? I have seen a juvenile six gill that looked alot like that picture at the Tacoma pipeline, this was a different face definitely, and not at all like a dogfish.

http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Pa ... 123&id=975

http://www.sharkattackfile.net/images/s ... -49728.jpg

This is what the tail looked like for sure.

Kirby

[Seth T.]

Wow, if you saw a SEVEN gill, that IS impressive!

[Sounder]

Last year about this time we saw a juvie/baby sixgill at 3TN in about 80fsw or so. Ugly little thing - but cute like a wolfeel. It was a bit larger than you're describing, but not much.

I counted the gills and the doral fin was way back so I know for sure it was a sixgill. It was also swimming very differently from a dogfish - the best I could describe it was "lumbering along." Not clumsy, but definitely not like a "jet fighter" as I have experienced dogfish swimming.