Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are the most common of all Hammerhead sharks. However, they are smaller in size than the Great Hammerhead and Smooth Hammerhead sharks.
This species of sharks prefers warm coastal waters. it can be found in temperate and subtropical waters on continental and island shelves. Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are found at depths of up to 500 meters, but sometimes they can also be observed at depths of up to 1000 meters. Younger individuals adhere to coastal areas and shallow bays, while more adults can be found around seamounts and deep reefs.
These sharks, like other sharks of the family Sphyrnidae, can be recognized by the head structure, which resembles a giant hammer. At the same time, the eyes and nostrils of the shark are located on the edges of this “hammer”, which looks quite unusual. On the head of the sharks, a central notch also stands out, complemented by indentations on the sides. The size of this species of sharks reaches 2,5 meters for females and 1,9 meters for males. The maximum length of the Scalloped Hammerhead was recorded at 4,3 meters. Mature male Scalloped Hammerhead sharks reach a weight of about 29 kg and female of about 80 kg. The maximum weight of these sharks that has been recorded is 152,4 kg.
During the day, Scalloped Hammerhead sharks can be found near the shore, and at night they swim to great depths where they hunt. Mostly they feed on fish and cephalopods, and sometimes they also hunt smaller sharks. The head shape of the Scalloped Hammerhead sharks gives them an advantage in stingray hunting, as they can bury the head in the seabed as well as successfully pin stingrays to the bottom. Sharks also have special sensory cells, which makes them more successful predators and helps to find prey that buried in the sand.
Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are not dangerous to humans. These sharks seek to avoid humans and there have been no confirmed cases of their attacks and aggressive behavior. But this species is considered to be in danger since the demand for shark fins and liver oil is quite large all over the world. And the habit of these sharks to gather in huge schools only made hunting them easier.
By Yuriy - Apnea Pirate