Sphyrna couardi, Whitefin hammerhead : fisheries

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Sphyrna couardi Cadenat, 1951

Whitefin hammerhead
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Sphyrna couardi   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Sphyrna couardi (Whitefin hammerhead)
Sphyrna couardi
Picture by FAO

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead, bonnethead, or scoophead sharks)
Etymology: Sphyrna: Probable misspelling of sphyra (Gr.), hammer, referring to their hammer-shaped heads (See ETYFish).
Eponymy: Monsieur Couard was Director of shark fisheries off the coast of Senegal, the type locality. Unfortunately we can find nothing more about him. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

Issue
Junior synonym of Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith 1834) in Ref. 94083,106604. This page will be deleted.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; benthopelagic. Tropical; 17°N - 5°S, 19°W - 13°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Congo. Not in Compagno's 1999 checklist (Ref. 35766).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 300 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A coastal-pelagic shark. Feeds on fishes, especially bony fishes, and also benthic and epibenthic cephalopods. Viviparous, with 24 to 28 young in a litter. Size at birth about 30 to 32 cm.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Viviparous, placental (Ref. 50449).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 244)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
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Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
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Maturity/Gills rel.
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
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References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.4 - 28, mean 26.7 °C (based on 64 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5006   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00347 (0.00153 - 0.00788), b=3.12 (2.93 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.54 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=24).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100). 🛈
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.