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The creature from Mahoning Creek |
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Saturday, 30 December 2006 |
 This Bonnethead shark - certainly not native to these parts - was found along the bank of Mahoning Creek Friday afternoon. (Photo by Marsha Lavelle)
PUNXSUTAWNEY - Just when you thought it was safe to go back into Mahoning Creek ...
The creature that had washed up along the bank of Mahoning Creek Friday was at first thought to be a hammerhead shark, but based on some quick research by people with an interest in marine biology, it was determined that the creature was actually a Bonnethead shark
What it was doing in or even near Mahoning Creek is a mystery, because it is a saltwater shark usually found in the Atlantic Ocean from New England to South America, and prefers 70-degree water.
Punxsutawney Borough Police Officer Heath Zeitler said members of the borough Public Works crew spotted the shark along the bank Friday afternoon, just below the Mahoning Shadow Trail near the intersection of South Gilpin and Cypress Streets.
Zeitler estimated that it might have been disposed of by some who had caught it while fishing elsewhere, or had previously kept it in a personal aquarium - a very large personal aquarium.
A rather shy species, the Bonnethead is considered harmless to humans. It has small teeth in a flat underside mouth, and eyes that are situated at the ends of its bonnet-shaped, scalloped head.
The specimen found Punxsy measured 42 inches long, which is the average size on an adult Bonnethead. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 January 2007 )
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