Sphyrna zygaena ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

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 : 69-70

Sphyrna zygaena ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Smooth Hammerhead

Squalus zygaena Linnaeus, 1758: 234 . Syntype: NRM LP 88, male embryo 215 mm (see Fernholm & Wheeler, 1983). Type locality: Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic (inc. Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Syria).

Local synonymy: Sphyrna malleus: Thompson, 1914: 143 . Sphyrna zygaena: Barnard, 1925: 32 ; Smith, 1949a: 46, fig. 21; D’Aubrey, 1964a: 45, pl. 26; Smith, 1965: 46, fig. 21; Gilbert, 1967: 31, fig. 8; Bass et al., 1975b: 45, fig. 26; Bass, 1986: 97, fig. 13.3, pl. 2; Compagno, 1984b: 553, fig.; Cliff & Wilson, 1986: 28; Compagno, 1988a: 35; Compagno et al., 1989: 72, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 120; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 68; Compagno et al., 2005: 326, fig., pl. 64; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 504, fig., pl. 75; Mann, 2013: 285; NPOA, 2013: 48; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 19, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 248; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Compagno, 2016: 1335; Weigmann, 2016: 881.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6115, SAIAB 7014, SAIAB 7015, SAIAB 7016, SAIAB 7017, SAIAB 7018, SAIAB 7019, SAIAB 7020, SAIAB 7021, SAIAB 7022, SAIAB 7023, SAIAB 7024, SAIAB 7025, SAIAB 7026, SAIAB 7027, SAIAB 7028, SAIAB 7029, SAIAB 7030, SAIAB 7031, SAIAB 7032, SAIAB 7033, SAIAB 7034, SAIAB 7035, SAIAB 7036, SAIAB 7037, SAIAB 7038, SAIAB 7039, SAIAB 7040, SAIAB 7041, SAIAB 7042, SAIAB 7043, SAIAB 7044, SAIAB 7045, SAIAB 7046, SAIAB 7047, SAIAB 7048, SAIAB 7049, SAIAB 7050, SAIAB 7051, SAIAB 7052, SAIAB 7053, SAIAB 11961, SAIAB 13003, SAIAB 13004, SAIAB 13005, SAIAB 13133, SAIAB 26446, SAIAB 26641, SAIAB 51214, SAIAB 51215, SAIAB 75566, SAIAB 75567, SAIAB 75568, SAIAB 189174, SAIAB 200675, SAIAB 201703, SAIAB 202977, SAIAB 203735.

South African distribution: St. Helena Bay (WC) to the KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: This hammerhead shark species is found mostly in cool to temperate waters and is most common in southern and western Cape waters where it seasonally forms large aggregations.

Conservation status: VU (2019).