Winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii)

Scientific name: Eusphyra blochii Cuvier, 1816

Winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii)

The Winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sphyrnidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, Persian Gulf to the Philippines, north to China, south to Australia.

Biology

Found in shallow water on continental and insular shelves. Enters estuaries. Feeds mainly on small teleost fishes but also takes crustaceans and cephalopods. Viviparous, with 6 to 25 pups in a litter. Has a remarkable wing-shaped head which is nearly or quite half of its body length, the function of which is uncertain, maybe for maneuvering or for increasing the surface area of some of the sense organs. Probably harmless to people. Caught commonly, but in low numbers, by inshore gillnet fisheries. Particularly common in catches off Kalimantan. Probably a common fisheries species where it occurs. Meat utilized for human consumption; liver is a source of vitamin oil. Offal probably utilized for fishmeal. Reported to reach 30

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Eusphyra blochii
Family
Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead / bonnethead / scoophead sharks)
Order
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
186
Environment
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; amphidromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to the Philippines, north to China, south to Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened (NT)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=6)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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