Scalloped hammerhead
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| Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Hamilton Smith, 1834) |
The scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini, is a hammerhead shark of the family Sphyrnidae. Originally Zygaena lewini, it was later moved to its current name. The Greek word sphyrna translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of this shark's head.
This shark is also known as the bronze, kidney-headed or southern hammerhead. It primarily lives in warm temperate and tropical coastal waters all around the globe between latitudes 46° N and 36° S, down to a depth of 300 m. It is the most common of all hammerheads.
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[edit] Anatomy and appearance
The most distinguishing characteristic of this shark, as in all hammerheads, is the 'hammer' on its head. The shark's eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the extensions. The maximum length of the scalloped hammerhead is 4.3 m and the maximum weight 150 kg.
[edit] Behavior
This shark is often seen during the day in big schools, sometimes numbering hundreds. They are considered dangerous but are normally not aggressive towards humans, in fact most incidents with humans are probably defensive after the shark was surprised or frightened.
[edit] Diet
This shark feeds primarily on fish such as sardines, mackerel and herring, and occasionally on cephalopods such as squid and octopus. Larger specimens may also feed on smaller species of shark such as the blacktip reef shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus.
[edit] Reproduction
Viviparous, producing 15 to 31 pups in a litter, measuring 43 to 55 cm.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Kotas (2000). Sphyrna lewini. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
- Sphyrna lewini (TSN 160508). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 23 January 2006.
- "Sphyrna lewini". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 09 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
