First historical records of Carcharhinus brachyurus (Chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes) in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The dried jaws of two specimens of Carcharhinus brachyurus were found in the collections of the Zoological Museum of the University of Palermo. Both pieces belong to the great Doderlein collection of fishes from Sicily assembled during the end of the nineteenth century (1862-1892) and are labelled as Carcarias (Prionodon) lamia and Carcharias lamia, respectively. These findings represent the first historical evidence of the presence of C. brachyurus in the Mediterranean Sea and add the southern Tyrrhenian to the species distribution within the Mediterranean. Moreover, sexual dimorphism in tooth morphology is documented for the first time in Mediterranean specimens. Some meristic and morphological data concerning the dentition are given, and a critical analysis of the presence of the species in the Mediterranean is presented. © 2009 Unione Zoologica Italiana.