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The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, named for the unusual and distinctive form of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a cephalofoil (a T-shape or "hammer").
Learn about the nine species of hammerhead sharks, their unique head shape, diet, and behavior. Find out how they hunt, migrate, and interact with humans and other animals.
Learn about the largest species of hammerhead shark, its distribution, habitat, description, behavior, reproduction, and conservation status. Find out how its cephalofoil shape, teeth, and fins are adapted for hunting and defense.
Hammerhead shark, any of 10 shark species belonging to the genera Sphyrna (9 species) and Eusphyrna (1 species), characterized by a flattened hammer- or shovel-shaped head, or cephalofoil. These sharks are widely distributed in tropical and temperate marine waters near the coasts and above the continental shelves.
- The hammerhead part of the shark’s head is called a cephalofoil. The hammerhead shark’s cephalofoil serves many purposes. It can help them navigate and find food, and it can also help them swim by boosting the hydrodynamic shape of their body.
- They use their head as a weapon when hunting! There have been times that the hammerhead shark has been caught using their head to literally hammer down prey.
- Hammerhead sharks are unaffected by stingray stings. The number one prey of choice for the hammerhead shark is the stingray. In fact, they’re one of the most likely animals to be caught on the receiving end of this shark’s powerful hammering when hunting.
- Almost all species of hammerhead shark are critically endangered. The name “hammerhead shark” actually refers to an entire family of sharks known as “Sphyrnidae”, which includes a genus known “Sphyrna”.
A hammerhead shark uses its wide head to trap stingrays by pinning them to the seafloor. The shark's eye placement, on each end of its very wide head, allows it to scan more area more quickly...
Dive into this 360° video and go face to face with a curious great hammerhead shark. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe Access our digital archive by...
- 2 min
- 38M
- National Geographic
