breakwater, July 11, 1957, and positive identification was established 

 by the shape of the teeth. 



Economic Importance: 



This species is not plentiful enough anywhere along the entire 

 Atlantic coast to be of any economic importance. 



Family Sphyrnidae 

 Genus Sphyma 



(16) Sphyma tiburo (Linnaeus) 1758 

 Bonnethead shark, shovelhead, bonnet shark 



Specimens: 



This is a tropical species generally found from North Carolina 

 to Brazil. Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) report one stray specimen 

 taken at Newport, one from Massachusetts Bay and six specimens 

 about four feet long taken in Nantucket Sound during the summer 

 of 1918. 



Economic Importance: 



Due to its scarcity in northern waters, this species is of no eco- 

 nomic importance off the Rhode Island coast. 



(17) Sphyma zygaena (Linnaeus) 1758 

 Hammerhead shark, common hammerhead 



Specimens: (PLATE 7) 



This species occasionally occurs in Rhode Island waters and is 

 sometimes taken by trawl fishermen from June to October. A few 

 small specimens are taken by Newport and Point Judith trap 

 fishermen each year. Although most specimens taken are small, 

 Tracy (1910) mentions a female hammerhead, 9 feet 10 inches (TL) 

 taken August 14, 1907, in a trap at the north end of Conanicut 

 Island. 



Economic Importance: 



Although slightly more plentiful in Rhode Island waters than 

 the bonnethead shark (p. 14), this species is of no economic im- 

 portance locally. 



14 



