Author: (Ruppell, 1837)

Sphyrna mokarran (Ruppell, 1837)

Diagnosis: head broad with anterior contour moderately convex, scalloped in the midline and opposite each nostril; head widely expanded laterally (hammer); corners of mouth opposite or posterior to outer posterior corners of head; eyes large, far from nostrils; centre of eyes anterior to front of mouth; prenarial grooves absent or hardly developed; teeth strongly serrated in young and old specimens; fifth gill opening shorter than other four and situated behind origin of pelvic fins; second dorsal fin very high, with short inner margin and deeply concave hind margin; pelvic fins high and falcate; anal fin base short. Colour: grey or greyishbrown above, shading to paler below; pectoral fins without marks. Size: to more than 6.1 m, usually to 4 m.

Habitat: coastal pelagic and semi-oceanic over continental and island shelves from coast to 30 m. Food: see family. Reproduction: viviparous; number of embryos 14-42; size at birth 50-70 cm.

Distribution: eastern Atlantic in warmer waters, also Mediterranean (Gulf of Genoa); elsewhere circumtropical (Atlantic, Pacific, northern Indian Ocean).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Chondrichthyes
Superorder Pleurotremata
Family Sphyrnidae
Genus Sphyrna
Species Sphyrna mokarran

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Sphyrna mokarran (Ruppell, 1837)

Synonyms:

Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)
Zygaena mokarran Rüppell, 1837, Neue Wirbeltiere, Fische: 66-67, pl. 17 fig. 3
(Massawa, Red Sea). Holotype SMF 3590.
Sphyrna mokarran: Gilbert, 1967, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 119 (3539): 25, fig. 6, 7, 21b, pl. 2, fig. 6A.

Common names:

Great hammerhead [En]
Grand requin-marteau [Fr]
Cornuda gigante [Es]

Boero, F.; Carli, A. 1977. Prima segnalazione mediterranea di Sphyrna mokarran (Ruppell) (Selachii, Sphyrnidae). BoL Mus. Ist. BioL Univ. Genova, 45: 4244, 2 fig.

Gilbert, C. R.1967. A revision of the hammerhead sharks. Proc. U.S. natn. Mus., 119 (3539): 1-88, pl. 1-10.

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