Photographic record of the spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & henle, 1839), in Gókova bay (south Aegean sea, Turkey) [Avvistamento fotografico dello squalo tissitore, carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & henle, 1839), nel golfo di gókova (mar egeo meridionale, turchia)] [Fotografski zapis o kratkoplavutem morskem psu, carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & henle, 1839), v zalivu gökova bay (ju?no egejsko morje, Tur?ija)]

Abstract

In August 1998, a picture of a spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & Henle, 1839) was taken by an amateur group of divers at a depth of 3 m in Boncuk Bay (Gókova Bay, south Aegean Sea). Photographic evidence of this shark in Boncuk Bay contributes to our knowledge about the historical distribution of the species in Turkish waters. C. brevipinna is considered a very rare shark species in Turkish seas and needs immediate protection in Turkish territorial waters. The sighting of the spinner shark in the vicinity of a well-documented nursery ground of the sandbar shark, C. plumbeus, does not necessarily indicate a breeding ground for C. brevipinna in the studied area, as well; however, the possibility of a hypothetical nursery for the spinner shark in the Boncuk Bay area should be investigated in the future. © 2015, University of Primorska. All rights reserved.