Hammerhead shark
| Hammerhead shark Fossil range: Middle Miocene to Present |
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Hammerhead shark of the genus Sphyrna are members of the family Sphyrnidae. There are 9 species of hammerhead sharks, ranging in size from about 3 feet (0.9 m) long to over 20 feet (6 m).
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[change] Description
The hammerhead shark has a wide, thick, flat head with the eyes on the outer edges of the head.[1] The head is indented at the center of the "hammer," which is almost rectangular in shape. This head helps hammerhead sharks make very tight turns in the water, and it also helps them sense prey.[1] This shark is gray (sometimes brown) above with an off-white belly. The first dorsal fin (the large fin on the top of the shark that most people associate with sharks) is very large and pointed.
[change] Diet and feeding habitats
The great hammerhead is a fierce predator with a good sense of smell that helps it find its prey. The great hammerhead eats fish, including rays, and other sharks, squid, octopuses, and crustaceans. The great hammerhead has been known to be cannibalistic (it eats other hammerhead sharks).
[change] Habitat
The hammerhead swims in warm and relatively warm water along the coastlines.
[change] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fulbright, Jeannie K. (2006). Exploring Creation with Zoology 2. 1106 Meridian Plaza, Suite 220: Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. ISBN 1-932012-73-7.
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