On the occurrence of sting-ray spines in the jaws and gills of the hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus)

Abstract

It is well-known that sharks ate voracious feeders and prey upon a wide variety of marine animals such as planktonic crustaceans, crabs, molluscs, fishes, turtles and seals. White examining a specimen of Sphyrnra zygaena (Linnaeus) measuring 3'86 metres in total length (Photo I) which was caught off Tuticorin at 40 fathoms depth by long line on 22nd April, 1971, several spines of sting-rays were found in the ja\vs and gills (Photo 2). The spines occurred in ooth jaws of S. 'Zygaena but most of them were found in the upper jaw and they were observed to have pierced the jaws and gills deeply.