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Tag: bonnethead shark

Bonnethead sharks are this year’s guest #BestShark

Posted on August 2, 2024August 2, 2024 By David Shiffman
Bonnethead sharks are this year’s guest #BestShark
Science

Everyone knows that sandbar shark is #BestShark. But to help raise money for graduate student shark research, I asked professional wrestler Ryan “Hollywood Hunk” Nemeth to help me auction off the right for some other species to be guest #BestShark for a year– an honor that comes with a custom wrestling championship belt I commissioned … Read More “Bonnethead sharks are this year’s guest #BestShark” »

Bonnethead sharks, one of the smallest hammerheads, may actually be more than one species

Posted on January 5, 2017January 5, 2017 By David Shiffman 2 Comments on Bonnethead sharks, one of the smallest hammerheads, may actually be more than one species
Science

Bonnethead sharks, one of the smallest members of the hammerhead shark family Sphyrnidae, have a special place in my heart. For many years, the avatar I used for science communication efforts, including posts on this blog, was a picture of me with a bonnethead.

Remember this avatar? That’s a bonnethead (on the left).

These sharks, which can grow up to about 5 feet long, are found throughout North, Central, and South America. However, new research by Fields and friends suggests that they may actually be a species complex, not a true species. “A species complex is a group of distinct species that are incorrectly classified as one species because they look very similar to one another,” explained Dr. Demian Chapman, an Associate Professor of Biology at Florida International University and a co-author on this new study. “A great example is the white spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) that was once thought to be one, globally distributed species, but now has been shown to be a group of very similar-looking species, each of which lives in a particular region.”

Read More “Bonnethead sharks, one of the smallest hammerheads, may actually be more than one species” »

World’s oldest known bonnethead shark captured in South Carolina!

Posted on July 21, 2011 By David Shiffman 2 Comments on World’s oldest known bonnethead shark captured in South Carolina!
Conservation, Science

Bonnethead sharks have always occupied a special place in my heart (and in the photo of myself that I use for Southern Fried Science). These animals, a member of the hammerhead family, are some of the most abundant sharks along the coast of the Southeastern United States. While the IUCN Shark Specialist Group rates bonnetheads as “Least Concern”, the assessment noted that these sharks are subjected to heavy commercial and recreational fishing pressure.

Read More “World’s oldest known bonnethead shark captured in South Carolina!” »

Charlie and the Adventure: June 24, 2010

Posted on June 24, 2010June 14, 2010 By David Shiffman
Science

Charlie helps WhySharksMatter measure a pregnant bonnethead shark by using himself for scale. This bonnethead is fully grown.

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