# bonnethead (*Sphyrna tiburo*) The bonnethead is a small shark that looks like a hammerhead but has a rounder head! They swim in warm waters and are known for their playful nature, often seen gliding gracefully through the ocean. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Bonnethead Shark ![bonnethead](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bonnethead_shark.jpg&width=800) Photo: Valerie Everett from Indianapolis, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonnethead_shark.jpg) ## Appearance The bonnethead has a distinct, shovel-shaped head, much like a wide spade, making it easily identifiable among sharks. Its body is typically grey-brown on top, fading to a lighter underside, providing camouflage in coastal waters. Unlike other hammerheads, its head is smooth and broadly rounded. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Carcharhiniformes - **Family:** Sphyrnidae - **Genus:** Sphyrna ## Interesting facts - Bonnetheads have a surprisingly large brain for their body size, especially for smell and vision! - Female bonnetheads can sometimes have babies all on their own, without a male shark! - Their wide, shovel-like head helps them 'sweep' the ocean floor, flushing out hidden crabs! - These sharks sometimes travel in huge groups, with hundreds of individuals cruising together! ## Special abilities - **Electro-Sense:** Bonnethead sharks can detect the faint electrical signals of hidden prey thanks to special sensors on their unique head shape. - **Super Sniffer:** The bonnethead has widely spaced nostrils that help them pinpoint the direction of smells like food with incredible accuracy. - **Vegetable Power:** Bonnetheads have unique enzymes to digest seagrass, helping them get nutrients from plants, which is rare for a shark. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-150 cm - **Weight:** 2.5-12 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-12 years - **Swim Speed:** 15 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 80 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding These small sharks primarily eat shellfish, crabs, and some fish, but also surprisingly consume seagrass. - **Age differences:** Younger bonnetheads eat more small crustaceans, while adults incorporate more seagrass into their diet. - **Primary Foods:** Crabs, Shrimp, Small fish, Mollusks, Seagrass - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Blue crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-crab) (*Callinectes sapidus*) — A primary food source in coastal waters. - **Eats:** White shrimp (*Litopenaeus setiferus*) — A common prey item found on the seafloor. - **Eats:** Turtle grass (*Thalassia testudinum*) — Provides plant matter and nutrients to their diet. - **Eaten by:** [Bull shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — Larger predatory shark that can prey on bonnetheads. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always stay close to an adult when swimming in the ocean and watch for sharks from a safe distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify bonnethead? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is bonnethead? 60-150 cm ### How much does bonnethead weigh? 2.5-12 kg ### How long does bonnethead live? 5-12 years ### What does bonnethead eat? These small sharks primarily eat shellfish, crabs, and some fish, but also surprisingly consume seagrass. ### How fast can bonnethead swim? 15 km/h ### Where is bonnethead usually found? Coastal areas ### How does bonnethead hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [New England Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-england-aquarium) — Massachusetts, US · Aquarium ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Bonnethead: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bonnethead)