The Great Hammerhead is instantly recognisable by its long, flattened head—or hammer—which can reach up to 60 cm across and houses widely spaced eyes and electroreceptive organs that help it hunt. These sharks grow to around 6 m and hunt in coastal and offshore waters, using their distinctive head shape to sweep the seafloor for stingrays and other prey. The species is critically endangered, having faced intense fishing pressure for decades.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Sphyrnidae
- Genus
- Sphyrna