Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). Manillas were partly differentiated and

Manillas were partly differentiated and valued by the sound they made when struck

This came with a collection of items from a Russian medical school

This is a lovely skull of the Manx shearwater Manx shearwater skull Puffinus puffinus

The bone has a slight gloss finish and appears to have had a coat of varnish or similar although this may have been original to prevent the bone from crumbling and could be easily removed with acetone

Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). Manillas were partly differentiated andThis is a beautifully prepared and mounted skull of a banded guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata. The banded guitarfish is an elasmobranch related to the rays although the body shape is half way between rays and typical shark form. Their diet is animals living in the sand and mud such as crabs and shellfish. As you can see on the jaws of this skull, the teeth are flattened for crushing hard shells. This skull has come from a specimen that was caught for