California IN BRIEF : MONTEREY : Seven-Gill Shark Is Largest in Captivity

A female seven-gill shark, believed to be the largest ever captured, has been taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where officials hope she will give birth. The 9-foot, 10-inch shark, weighing approximately 350 pounds, was caught at an undisclosed location “off the North Coast,” aquarium Supervisor Scott Nygren said. Officials believe the shark, named Eve, is pregnant but they are apprehensive about conducting blood or ultrasound tests to confirm it. “There’s always stress when you bring in an animal from the wild,” Nygren said. “We just want to let her swim freely and not get stressed out because she could give birth prematurely.” The exact location of the catch was withheld because seven-gill sharks have been “severely overfished” in Northern California waters, Nygren said. Although aquarium officials do not know how advanced Eve’s pregnancy might be, sharks typically give birth in the spring to litters of 80 to 100.