huge jaw of an oceanic white-tip shark Taxidermy full...

Carcharhinus longimanus, commonly known as the hammerhead shark or oceanic white-tipped shark, is a large pelagic shark belonging to the Carcharhinidae family. It owes its scientific name (longimanus, meaning “from the long hand”) and common name to its features and large pectoral and dorsal fins, which are unusually long, rounded, and clearly marked by conspicuous white tips. Carcharhinus longimanus, commonly known as the hammerhead shark or oceanic white-tipped shark, is a large pelagic shark belonging to the Carcharhinidae family. It owes its scientific name (longimanus, meaning “from the long hand”) and common name to its features and large pectoral and dorsal fins, which are unusually long, rounded, and clearly marked by conspicuous white tips. It is a predominantly pelagic fish that lives in open seas in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world. It usually moves near the surface (to depths of 20-150 meters). It can reach a maximum length of about 3.5 - 4 meters and a weight of 270 kg. It is a solitary, curious and decidedly bold predator. It is often accompanied by pilot fish, remoras and tunas. Due to the scarcity of food in the open ocean, it is an opportunistic and aggressive animal in scavenging situations. Historically, it has represented one of the greatest dangers to shipwreck survivors at sea. “The 30th of July, 1945, the American cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea. About 900 sailors survived the impact and remained afloat in the open ocean for nearly 5 days, with no one aware of their disappearance. Attracted by blood and chaos, hundreds of hammerhead sharks (oceanic white-tipped sharks) surrounded the survivors. The sharks systematically attacked the sailors for days, turning the event into the largest shark attack in history. When rescue arrived, only 316 men were saved. It is estimated that the sharks directly killed about 150 people, while others died from dehydration and wounds”. Good auction.

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