#Shovelbill Shark

[todropscience]

NEW HAMMERHEAD SHARK JUST DROPPED

Not every day does a new shark get discovered! Meet the Shovelbill Shark (Sphyrna alleni), a newly described species of hammerhead shark named after Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen. This new species is found in the coastal waters of the Caribbean and southwest Atlantic.

Hammerhead sharks are easily recognized by their laterally expanded and dorsoventrally compressed heads. Genetic studies have revealed that what was once thought to be a single bonnethead species (Sphyrna tiburo) is actually a complex, with Sphyrna alleni now recognized as a separate species. A longtime advocate for wildlife conservation, Paul Allen and his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation supported Global FinPrint, an international survey of the world’s reef sharks and rays. It was during this project that scientists conducted much of the fieldwork necessary to describe this newly recognized species. The Shovelbill Shark is smaller than the bonnethead, with distinct genetic and morphological characteristics, including a different number of vertebrae, which suggest it is separate from other hammerhead species. This new species is distributed from Belize to Southern Brazil, inhabiting estuaries, coral reefs, sandy and muddy bottom beds, seagrasses, and mangroves.

The Shovelbill Shark is a common component of artisanal fisheries in many Latin American countries and currently lacks proper management or protection. Previous reports indicate that this new species is undergoing overexploitation, making it imperative to safeguard their populations and establish fisheries regulations.

Photographs: Above is a male shovelhead shark (Sphyrna alleni), described from the Caribbean and the Southwest Atlantic. Below is Cindy Gonzalez, the lead researcher of the study, tagging the new species Sphyrna alleni (photo courtesy of the Mays Family Foundation).

Reference: Gonzales et al., 2024. Sphyrna alleni sp. nov., a new hammerhead shark (Carcharhiniformes, Sphyrnidae) from the Caribbean and the Southwest Atlantic. Zootaxa.

[dlium]

Shovelbill shark (Sphyrna alleni), hammerhead shark (Sphyrnidae) from Caribbean and Southwest Atlantic

Requin-marteau pelle (Sphyrna alleni), requin-marteau (Sphyrnidae) des Caraïbes et du sud-ouest de l'Atlantique

Tiburón Cabeza de Pala (Sphyrna alleni), tiburón martillo (Sphyrnidae) del Caribe y el Atlántico sudoccidental

Tubarão-bico-de-pá (Sphyrna alleni), tubarão-martelo (Sphyrnidae) do Caribe e do Atlântico Sudoeste

शोवेलबिल शार्क (स्फिर्ना अल्लेनी), हैमरहेड शार्क (स्फिर्निडे) कैरेबियन और दक्षिण-पश्चिम अटलांटिक से

Hiu paruh sekop (Sphyrna alleni), hiu martil (Sphyrnidae) dari Karibia dan Atlantik Barat Daya

カリブ海および南西大西洋産のハシビロザメ（Sphyrna alleni）、シュモクザメ科（Sphyrnidae）

Акула-лопатоклюв (Sphyrna alleni), акула-молот (Sphyrnidae) из Карибского бассейна и Юго-Западной Атлантики

铲嘴鲨 (Sphyrna alleni)、锤头鲨 (Sphyrnidae)，产于加勒比海和西南大西洋

來自加勒比海和西南大西洋的鏟嘴鯊 (Sphyrna alleni)、雙髻鯊 (Sphyrnidae)

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