Sphyrna media

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	CARCHARHINIFORMES	SPHYRNIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sphyrna media

Species Authority:

Springer, 1940

Common Name/s:

English	–	Scoophead Shark
French	–	Requin-marteau Écope
Spanish	–	Cachona, Cornuda Cuchara, Tiburón Cabeza De Pala, Tiburón Martillo Cuchara

Synonym/s:

Sphyrna nana Sadowsky, 1965

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2006
Assessor/s:	Casper, B.M. & Burgess, G.H.
Reviewer/s:	Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D., Fowler, S.L., Heupel, M.R. & Simpfendorfer, C.A. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: A widely distributed hammerhead of Central and northern South America, Sphyrna media is found in both the Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic. Occurs over the continental shelf and reaches ~150 cm total length, but very little is known of its habitat and ecology. Presumably taken with bottom longlines, gillnets and hook and line throughout its coastal range, but no information is available as to the extent of capture and fishing practices. It is however known to be a common bycatch in the mackerel gillnet fishery off Trinidad. Further data on habitat, biology and catch rates are required before an accurate assessment of the status of this species can be undertaken.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Central and northern South America in both the Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic (including the southern Caribbean Sea).
Countries:	Native: Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – western central; Pacific – southeast; Pacific – eastern central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic populations likely distinct.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Occurs on the continental shelf. Viviparous reproductive pattern but little is known of the general biology of S. media. Reaches a maximum size of ~150 cm TL. Life history parameters Age at maturity (years): Unknown. Size at maturity (total length): Female: 100 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b); Male: 90 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b). Longevity (years): Unknown. Maximum size (total length): ~150 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b). Size at birth: ?34 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b). Average reproductive age (years): Unknown. Gestation time (months): Unknown. Reproductive periodicity: Unknown. Average annual fecundity or litter size: Unknown. Annual rate of population increase: Unknown. Natural mortality: Unknown.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Occurs on the continental shelf. Viviparous reproductive pattern but little is known of the general biology of S. media. Reaches a maximum size of ~150 cm TL.

Life history parameters
Age at maturity (years): Unknown.
Size at maturity (total length): Female: 100 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b); Male: 90 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b).
Longevity (years): Unknown.
Maximum size (total length): ~150 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b).
Size at birth: ?34 cm TL (Compagno in prep. b).
Average reproductive age (years): Unknown.
Gestation time (months): Unknown.
Reproductive periodicity: Unknown.
Average annual fecundity or litter size: Unknown.
Annual rate of population increase: Unknown.
Natural mortality: Unknown.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Presumably taken with bottom longlines, gillnets and hook and line throughout its coastal range, but no information is available as to the extent of capture and fishing practices. It is however known to be a common bycatch in the mackerel gillnet fishery off Trinidad.

Major Threat(s):

Presumably taken with bottom longlines, gillnets and hook and line throughout its coastal range, but no information is available as to the extent of capture and fishing practices. It is however known to be a common bycatch in the mackerel gillnet fishery off Trinidad.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	An investigation into the extent the species is captured and marketed, as well as information on its ecology and life history are required.

Conservation Actions:

An investigation into the extent the species is captured and marketed, as well as information on its ecology and life history are required.

Bibliography [top]

	Compagno, L.J.V. In prep. b. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the shark species known to date. Volume 3. (Carcharhiniformes). FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1, Vol.3. FAO, Rome. IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

Compagno, L.J.V. In prep. b. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the shark species known to date. Volume 3. (Carcharhiniformes). FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1, Vol.3. FAO, Rome.

IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

Citation:	Casper, B.M. & Burgess, G.H. 2006. Sphyrna media. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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