Smooth Hammerhead
| Class: Fishes: 4
classes |
Diet: Fish |
| Order:
Lamniformes: Sharks |
| Size:
44.3 m (14 ft) |
| Family: No Fish family
information |
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
|
| Scientific Name: Sphyrna
zygaena |
Habitat: coastal
and inshore waters |
| Range:
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans: tropical and warm temperate areas |
 The
smooth hammerhead is one of 10 species of hammerhead shark, all of which
have flattened projections at the sides of the head, hence their name.
The eyes are positioned on the outer edges of these lobes, and the nostrils
also are spread far apart. The advantages of this head shape are not clear,
but it may be that the shark gains some improvement of its sensory abilities
from the spacing out of eyes and nostrils or that the head shape improves
maneuverability or simply increases lift. The smooth hammerhead feeds
on fish, particularly rays, and also scavenges on occasion. In summer,
it makes regular migrations to cooler waters. Hammerheads have been known
to attack humans and are thought to be aggressive sharks.
  
|
