Thresher Shark Jaw
The preparation of the Thresher Shark Jaw and other such specimens will vary on the size of the animal itself. I recently completed a skull and tail fin set from a thresher shark which was approximately 1.75 metres in total length, and both the skull and tail were selling as a set, mounted on wooden bases for AUD$5,700. To order your very own, get in touch with us:
Mounted thresher shark jaw
The Thresher shark is an oceanic and coastal species, found pretty much worldwide. It ranges from the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Cuba, Brazil and Argentina, the Indo Pacific region from South Africa, to India, the Maldives, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. On the Eastern Pacific Ocean it ranges from British Columbia to south of Chile. Thresher sharks are fast swimmers that feed mainly on schooling fish such as blue fish, juvenile tuna, mackerel, squid and cuttlefish.
Thresher shark jaws are not particularly large, even though the shark itself might be large with a distinctive tail that can grow up to 3 meters long. The jaws have smooth teeth on both the upper and lower jaw.
Thresher shark head
Thresher shark tail fin set
THE CLEANING PROCESS
When I receive only the jaws, the cleaning is straightforward, as per all the other shark jaws I do. The jaw is cleaned of all the meat, the membrane covering the teeth is removed, then the jaw is rinsed under cold water in placed in a container with my whitening and disinfecting solution.
Once ready, it is removed, rinsed and set out to dry. I also receive whole skulls from these sharks and in many cases both the head and the tail. The skull and the tail use different methodologies, as per the preparation of other shark skulls and fins. The skull itself is poorly calcified, therefore care must be taken when both dissecting and preparing the skull. The orbital capsules are rather large compared to the skull itself, especially on the Bigeye Thresher and they need to be processed separately. The tail and any pectoral fins that will be used for display, need to be carefully dissected.
My display of the tail involves in keeping one side intact, showing the actual skin, and the other side dissected showing the intricate and spectacular pattern of vertebrae which goes as far as the tip of the tail itself.
MOUNTING
Such specimens are mounted on custom made stainless steel brackets which are inserted into the backbone and locked in position with heavy duty epoxy resins. The base of the stainless steel mount is then fitted to a thick wooden base, usually made out of Australian Grey Gum or Boxwood, which is stained and finished.
AUSTRALIA & INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
These sharks are not protected therefore will not require any documentation. However when you purchase a jaw, skull and/or tail from the Thresher shark you'll receive information regarding capture details.
Want to find more out about our Thresher shark jaws, tails and skulls or other shark skulls? Get in touch with Simon on +61 477 071 000 or leave an enquiry form below.
