Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)

Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, Zootaxa 4947 (1), pp. 1-127 : 69

Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)

Great Hammerhead

Zygaena mokarran R ̹ppell, 1837: 66, pl. 17 (fig. 3). Lectotype: SMF 3590 (stuffed); lectotype designation by Klausewitz (1960). Type locality: Massawa , Eritrea, Red Sea.

Local synonymy: Sphyrna mokarran: D’Aubrey, 1964a: 47 , pl. 28; Gilbert, 1967: 25, figs. 6, 7, 21b, 22b, pl. 2, 6a (revision of family); Bass et al., 1975b: 44, fig. 25; Compagno, 1984b: 548, fig.; Bass, 1986: 97, fig. 13.2; Cliff & Wilson, 1986: 26; Compagno, 1988a: 35; Compagno et al., 1989: 72, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 120; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 68; Compagno et al., 2005: 324, fig., pl. 64; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 504, fig., pl. 75; NPOA, 2013: 48; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 17, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 248; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Compagno, 2016: 1333; Weigmann, 2016: 881.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6268 [ex ORI 2610], SAIAB 7010 [ex ORI 196], SAIAB 7011 [ex ORI 825], SAIAB 7012 [ex ORI 965], SAIAB 7013 [ex ORI 1296], SAIAB 99328, SAIAB 99329.

South African distribution: Port Shepstone to the KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: The least common of the hammerhead shark species occurring in South African waters, it is most common during the warmer months ( Bass et al., 1975b).

Conservation status: CR (2019).