# Hammerhead Shark (*Sphyrna spp.*) Hammerhead Sharks have a unique hammer-shaped head! They are great swimmers and can be found in warm waters. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Warm ocean waters - **Also known as:** Hammerhead, Hammerhead Shark Species ![Hammerhead Shark](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426331/objects/4715.jpg) ## Appearance The Hammerhead Shark has a distinctive, flattened T-shaped head with eyes positioned on each end. Its body is typically grey-brown on top, blending into a white underside. This unique head shape makes it visually different from all other sharks. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Carcharhiniformes - **Family:** Sphyrnidae - **Genus:** Sphyrna ## Interesting facts - Some hammerhead species give birth to live pups, not eggs! - Their unique head is called a 'cephalofoil' by scientists. - They sometimes get a 'sunburn' if they swim too long in shallow waters! - Young hammerheads gather in huge groups, sometimes hundreds, for safety! ## Special abilities - **Panoramic Vision:** Hammerhead Sharks have eyes at the ends of their wide head, which gives them an almost 360-degree view around them. - **Prey Detector:** Hammerhead Sharks can find hidden prey because they have special sensors on their wide head that detect electrical signals. - **Ray Pinning Power:** Hammerhead Sharks can pin down stingrays with their shovel-shaped head, which helps them catch their favorite food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 250-610 cm - **Weight:** 80-450 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-40 years - **Swim Speed:** 25 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 500 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Hammerheads are hungry hunters that gobble up fish, stingrays, and even crabs! - **Primary Foods:** stingrays, smaller fish, crabs, squid, octopus - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Southern stingray](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-stingray) (*Hypanus americanus*) — A favorite meal for hammerheads. - **Eats:** Striped mullet (*Mugil cephalus*) — Common schooling fish hunted by sharks. - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Occasionally preyed upon by killer whales. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Electrogenic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/electrogenic): This trait describes organisms capable of generating electric fields or electric shocks. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [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 Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hammerhead Shark? 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 Hammerhead Shark? 250-610 cm ### How much does Hammerhead Shark weigh? 80-450 kg ### How long does Hammerhead Shark live? 20-40 years ### What does Hammerhead Shark eat? Hammerheads are hungry hunters that gobble up fish, stingrays, and even crabs! ### How fast can Hammerhead Shark swim? 25 km/h ### Where is Hammerhead Shark usually found? Warm ocean waters ### How does Hammerhead Shark hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-defiance-zoo-and-aquarium) — Washington, US · Zoo - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium-california) — California, US · Aquarium - [Monterey Bay Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monterey-bay-aquarium) — California, US · Zoo - [Georgia Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-aquarium) — Georgia, US · Aquarium - [Philadelphia Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/philadelphia-aquarium) — Pennsylvania, US · Zoo - [Newport Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/newport-aquarium) — Kentucky, US · Zoo [View all places to see Hammerhead Shark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hammerhead-shark) ## 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: [Hammerhead Shark: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hammerhead-shark)