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Sharks skulls

Discussion in 'Skulls and Skeletons' started by Vkvz, Jun 16, 2016.

  1. Jun 16, 2016 #1
    Vkvz

    Vkvz New Member

    553
    1
    France
    Been a while since I posted anything around here but I've been busy on a variety of projects, including setting up my own company (website should be online soon) and cleaning a couple of cool specimens for museums, of which I'll post pictures when they are completed.
    In the meantime here's the last batch of chondrichthyans skulls I've completed:

    Mako shark:
    [​IMG]

    Spiny dogfish. This particular specimen is now in Jean Christophe's collection :)
    [​IMG]

    Milk shark embryo. This guy is under 5 cm long.
    [​IMG]

    Pelagic stingray. Those are really strange and most specimens I got had hook damage in the jaws.
    [​IMG]

    Angel shark. This one has to be one of my favorites: little brain, huge jaws ;D
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Jun 16, 2016 #2
    Guus

    Guus Member

    563
    1
    Norway
    Ah, finally! It was about time! :) Awesome work, you realize you're one of the best (if not the best) in the world working on sharks for display? Having seen the quality of your work myself I doubt there is anyone out there creating better pieces. Now get over here, I need space in my freezers!
     

  5. Jun 16, 2016 #3
    AH7

    AH7 New Member

    1,281
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    Those are the most amazing shark preparations I've ever seen!
     
  6. Jun 16, 2016 #4
    Sea Wolf

    Sea Wolf Well-Known Member

    13,396
    1,569
    Taxachusetts
    They are indeed amazing. I have access to all the spiny dogfish I want. Would be tempted to try one using your photos as a guide. Did you ever do a tutorial on how you do these?. If I come across a great white on the beach I would positively have to try.
     
  7. Jun 16, 2016 #5
    AliciaG

    AliciaG Museum taxidermist and exhibit preparator

    313
    47
    Oakland, CA
    Wow! These are absolutely gorgeous preparations. Great work!
     
  8. Jun 17, 2016 #6
    Jean-Christophe

    Jean-Christophe Member

    845
    5
    Paris, France
    As I told you those are really great ! Never seen an angel shark skull and he is very cool, so different in anything and his labial cartilages are quite big compare to others. And no rostrum again, lost or acquired several times in chondros fish ?
    (who need a big brain when you have big jaws ;) )
    Thanks again for the specimens !
     
  9. Jun 18, 2016 #7
    flintlough

    flintlough Member

    75
    1
    Texas
    Vkvz,
    Thanks so much for posting your work. Very clean and well mounted. What do you seal your skulls with, paraloid? I've never gotten a chance to work on a shark. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the chance to in the future.
     
  10. Jun 18, 2016 #8
    Sea Wolf

    Sea Wolf Well-Known Member

    13,396
    1,569
    Taxachusetts
    Just remember that those *skulls* are nothing but cartilage and it's a whole different process to save them. And horribly labor intensive.
     
  11. Jun 18, 2016 #9
    Vkvz

    Vkvz New Member

    553
    1
    France
    Thanks all for the kind words :)
    Guus: not sure if I'm the best chondro guy out there yet, but I'm definitely working on that! :D Will email you in a couple of days by the way!

    JC: Yep, huge variation in rostral structures in those guys! I have a salmon shark head in the freezer I can't wait to work on, these guys have the most heavily calcified rostrum of any living species. Glad you like the specimens by the way, still have to send you the hook that goes with the stingray.


    Better, send it to me! ;D
    No tutorial, but I did publish a small paper with my parter and former PhD advisors to outline one of the techniques I use:
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jai.13050/abstract
    It's not open access, but you can still drop me a pm with your email address and I'll forward you a copy. No magic formula however, and nothing replaces practice and a good understanding of their anatomy helps. I already started experimenting with other ideas.

    I don't usually seal my own specimens, as I keep them well protected in display cases, but I do use paraloid on the specimens I sell.
     
  12. Jun 18, 2016 #10
    DEERMEISTER

    DEERMEISTER Active Member

    1,470
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    ARKANSAS (halfway between Booger Hollow and Toad S
    simply AMAZING!!!!
     
  13. Jun 19, 2016 #11
    TheSeaWench

    TheSeaWench Member

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    CR
    Awesome