SARASOTA, Fla. — A new hammerhead shark species has been discovered by scientists in Florida and named after philanthropist Paul G. Allen, who also co-founded Microsoft.
The new species' scientific name is Sphyrna alleni. The shark was difficult to identify because of its similarities to the bonnethead shark, according to Cindy Gonzalez of Florida International University.
“DNA analyses provided the first clue that the bonnethead sharks, as we knew them, were at least two species in the Atlantic and not one,” said former FIU Associate Professor and Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research Demian Chapman. “But DNA alone is not enough to define a species, so we put a team together to look at specimens and see if there were any physical differences as well.”
The Paul G. Allen Family funded this discovery because Allen was passionate about shark conservation and protecting marine ecosystems. COVID disrupted the discovery process because of the prevention of overseas travel. Since the new species ranges from Belize to Brazil, the discovery would not have been possible without international travel.
“The work to identify and document this new species was truly a community endeavor and involved a team of scientists and Belizean shark fishers,” Gonzalez said.
“It is imperative to study and protect small hammerhead shark species as they are unique to the American continent and have been extirpated, overfished and misidentified in fisheries,” Champman said.
Chapman continued to say that Belize has taken steps to prevent overfishing and misidentification while fishing.
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