There are nine species in this family. They have unusual, flattened heads that look like the head of a hammer! They have large, round eyes on each end of their “hammer” heads. They range in size from 5-17 feet in length.
What family is the hammerhead shark in?
Hammerhead shark
Great hammerhead/Family
What makes a hammerhead shark unique?
Unique Traits Their wide-set eyes give them a better visual range than most other sharks. And by spreading their highly specialized sensory organs over their wide, mallet-shaped head, they can more thoroughly scan the ocean for food.
Why are hammerhead sharks called hammerheads?
This shark’s unusual name comes from the unusual shape of its head, an amazing piece of anatomy built to maximize the fish’s ability to find its favorite meal: stingrays. A hammerhead shark uses its wide head to trap stingrays by pinning them to the seafloor.
How many species are in Carcharhiniformes?
Carcharhiniformes /kɑːrkəˈraɪnɪfɔːrmiːz/, the ground sharks, with over 270 species, are the largest order of sharks. They include a number of common types, such as catsharks, swellsharks, and the sandbar shark.
What is a group of hammerhead sharks called?
A group of sharks is called a gam, herd, frenzy, school or shiver.
Why do hammerheads have hammerheads?
It’s one of evolution’s most eccentric creations: a head shaped like a hammer. Now, a study suggests that the hammerhead shark may have evolved its oddly shaped snout to boost the animal’s vision and hunting prowess.
What are the physical traits of a hammerhead shark?
The body is stout and classically shark-shaped with a markedly tall, curved, first dorsal fin. The great hammerhead is dusky brown to light gray on the dorsal surface, fading to a cream-colored underside, with an asymmetrical caudal fin. They can reach a maximum length of 18-20 feet (Compagno et al., 2005).
What is the hammerhead shark known for?
Hammerhead sharks are known for their unique head shape and wide-set eyes, which give them a better visual range than most other sharks, but there’s a lot more to learn about these distinctive fish than what you may already know. The “hammer” shape of this unique shark’s head is called a cephalofoil.
What is the meaning of Sphyrnidae?
Definition of Sphyrnidae. : a family of sharks that have the head highly modified and that include the hammerheads and bonnetheads.
What are the characteristics of a hammerhead shark?
The Family Sphyrnidae, known as hammerhead sharks shows a dimorphism compared to the other species of shark: its head laterally expanded with eyes and nostrils on the edges, which gives the species a hammer appearance.
How big do Sphyrna tudes get?
A maximum length of 4.5 m was reported for Sphyrna tudes. They feed on a wide variety of bony fish, elasmobranchs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and other prey. Young born fully developed.
Do carcharhinids and sphyrnids have large brains?
Given the sophistication and subtlety of their social lives, it is little wonder that carcharhinids and sphyrnids typically possess relatively large and complex brains. In the Sea of Cortez, the Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) forms polarized schools of up to 500 individuals.
