The characteristic flat head, divided into two lobes ending in eyes with independent innervation, is the reason that, for example, in India this shark is called the horned shark. Olive gray or dark gray top and white bottom. The fins are the same color with black tips. Quite a common species, and not only in the tropics.
Hunting for a hammerhead shark is an unforgettable experience for an angler!
Getting to know the fish
Having an expressive and unique appearance, the common hammerhead shark is one of the most common sea trophies. The easily recognizable body shape and habits of a formidable predator make catching this fish exciting and interesting. A photo with a hammerhead shark will adorn the merits of any fisherman, and the moment of catching such an original-looking trophy will remain in his memory for a long time. The fishing and tourism company ROYAL SAFARI is ready to offer fishing for this shark in many countries in Latin and Central America. It is a popular species in sport fishing and this moment We have extensive experience in hunting this predator.
The common hammerhead shark is the most common species of the hammerhead shark family.
Appearance
Just look at the photo of a hammerhead shark to see the uniqueness of this fish. Her head is of a completely non-standard shape - T-shaped, in the form of a fictional hammer. The head shape of this species of hammerhead shark is curved outward at the front. On the sides of the T-shaped head are large eyes. And in the lower part of the outgrowths there are nostrils, as well as receptors for electromagnetic pulses - special sensory organs that help the fish find prey. While swimming, the shark has to make lateral movements from side to side, since the eyes located on the sides do not see the space in front of the fish. And due to such movements, the viewing angle of the fish increases to almost 360 degrees.
Despite the different head shape, the body shape of the hammerhead fish is classically shark-like. Streamlined torpedo-shaped body with prominent large fins. The very high dorsal fin has a slightly curved shape, and all other fins are much more curved. Top part the caudal fin is much larger than the lower one.
The color of the upper body varies from olive-gray to dark blue and brown, and the underparts from gray on the sides to white on the belly. The fins are the same color as the body, but have black tips.
Habitat
Of all the hammerhead sharks, the common hammerhead is the most unpretentious in water temperature. This quality helps it occupy the widest habitat on the globe.
In all seas temperate zone you can meet this predator. But still equatorial belt, where our company practices fishing, is more preferable for searching for large concentrations of this fish. The coasts of Brazil, Argentina, Hawaii and Panama are excellent places to catch hammerhead sharks.
This species, as a rule, tries to stay closer to the surface, without descending to a depth of more than 20 meters. At the same time, hammerheads are found both in the coastal zone and in the open sea, they are simply not characterized by deep dives. But there are still rare exceptions and there is evidence of encounters with this species in the open sea at a depth of about 200 meters. The main place of concentration of fish should be considered the coastal waters of continents and areas around oceanic islands. In the summer, the common hammerhead shark migrates to the poles to stick to cooler waters, and in the winter it returns back to the equator.
Fishing for hammerhead shark
Young fish most often gather in schools and hunt collectively. To successfully catch these sharks, you should know the common rules and behavioral characteristics of these fish.
Watch a video about catching a large specimen of this species!
The most common food for hammerhead sharks are bottom-dwelling invertebrates (clams, crabs, shrimp), squid and fish. With ease, the hammer attacks smaller sharks, as well as various stingrays. Only by combining all the features of the hammerhead shark’s habitat, behavior and nutrition can one count on successful fishing.
Take a look at the photos and videos of the hammerhead shark below to appreciate for yourself the reality of catching this trophy.
World record according to IGFA: common hammerhead shark - 148 kilograms.
The hammerhead shark (hammerhead shark, or hammerhead fish (lat. Sphyrnidae)) is one of the most unusual creatures of nature. The eccentric appearance of the hammerhead shark inspires wonder mixed with fear, especially to those who have to encounter it for the first time.
In addition to the unusual shape of its head, this predator is also distinguished by its rather large size: the average length of hammerhead sharks is about 4 meters, and some specimens reach 7-8 meters.
The non-standard appearance and impressive dimensions do not prevent this fish from developing high speed and exhibiting rare behavior.
The characteristics of the predator include its ferocity of character: it is believed that it is almost impossible to emerge victorious in a fight with this shark.
There are many mysteries surrounding the hammerhead fish.
Hammerhead shark: a fish surrounded by an aura of mystery
These unusual predators are accompanied by the same unusual stories, not all of which can be found to have a logical explanation. So, a mystery for scientists is the peculiarity of these in some specific places, most often in underwater rocks.
Moreover, the “gatherings” reach their greatest numbers by noon, and closer to night the flock of predators disperses, only to gather together again the next day. Another question that has not yet been answered: why do females predominate in places of such mass gatherings?
It is also surprising that even in complete darkness, the hammerhead shark is perfectly oriented, without losing direction and without losing sight of the desired part of the light.
Perhaps the predator’s navigational abilities are due to a special gift from the planet?
And one more interesting fact: researchers have recorded about a dozen different signals that sharks gathered in schools exchange among themselves.
Several of them could be deciphered: these are obvious; Scientists can only guess about the meaning of the rest.
Dangerous hammerhead shark:
However main reason attacks is that, strangely and tragic coincidence, to breed offspring, the hammerhead shark chooses the most favorite places for vacationers in shallow water.
During this period, hammerheads are extremely rare, so precedents occur from time to time, especially in the Hawaii area.
However, much more harm inflicted on hammerhead fish by a man who exterminates millions of unfortunate predators for the sake of obtaining fins - the main ingredient of the legendary,.
September 7th, 2013
Hammerhead shark- one of the most unusual creatures of nature. The eccentric appearance of the hammerhead shark inspires wonder mixed with fear, especially to those who have to encounter it for the first time. In addition to the unusual shape of its head, this predator is also distinguished by its rather large size: the average length of hammerhead sharks is a little more than 4 meters, and some specimens reach 7-8 meters.
Its unusual appearance and impressive dimensions do not prevent this fish from developing high speed and exhibiting rare maneuverability. The characteristics of the predator include its ferocity of character: it is believed that it is almost impossible to emerge victorious in a fight with this shark. There are many mysteries surrounding the hammerhead fish.
And although many surprising features of shark behavior have already been revealed by scientists, some questions still remain unanswered. So what is known today about the hammerhead shark - a creature whose predatory grin quickens your breath and freezes your heart when you look at it?
The hammerhead shark is a newborn species in the shark family. It is believed that they appeared only 40 million years ago. But no one is really sure about this. We know too little about the origins of the hammer. Sharks almost never leave fossils, and this is the main source of information about the past of the animal.
What remains of ancient fish, whose skeletons consisted of strong bones, is detailed history evolution. But the skeleton of sharks consists mainly of cartilage, so usually only teeth and jaws remain. This means we have little evidence about the origins of hammerhead sharks.
Biologists have always believed that the shark's head acquired the hammer shape we now see gradually, over millions of years. And what is known is that the streamlined head shape typical of a shark expanded every generation by a tiny distance. Millions of years later, the hammerhead sharks we know today appeared.
But recent genetic research data has completely overturned this theory. Now some scientists believe that the hammer did not appear as a result of gradual changes, but was the result of a sudden, bizarre mutation. To many biologists, this sounds like heresy, the kind of idea that would make Darwin turn over in his grave.
Nature does sometimes give birth to freaks, but they almost never survive. Sometimes it turns out that one of these mutants survives, and then a new one is born. Was the first hammerhead shark one of these freaks? It is only possible that the terribly deformed head instilled in her a new way of existence.
Her eyes were so slanted to the sides that she could not look straight, making it impossible to hunt using her sight. All that was left was to either adapt or die.
Having sunk to the bottom, she began to rely on other senses in search of food and turned into the skilled hunter we know today.
It may seem like science fiction, but this theory really explains the appearance of such a strange hammer-shaped head.
The evolutionary history of the hammerhead shark has been very successful. These days they are one of the most commonly found shark species in the world, and in some places they gather in astounding numbers.
Hundreds of individuals cruise around seamounts. Few other shark species form such large schools. This is one of the ocean's biggest secrets. Why do so many of these sharks gather in one place, at one time? Oddly enough, in these huge flocks the majority are female, and we do not yet know why this happens.
When gathering in schools, sharks send signals to each other by changing their posture or sharply moving their heads. At least nine different signals were recorded; perhaps there are many more. Some signals are clear warnings; as for the meanings of others, we can only guess.
The largest and most aggressive females compete for the best place in the center of the school, because males tend here in search of the strongest females. Mating of hammerhead sharks has not yet been studied. This is such a rare phenomenon that almost no one has ever observed it. Females are often covered in battle scars. During mating, males bite into their partner with their teeth, and in warm tropical waters the wounds quickly become infected.
Hammerhead sharks reproduce in an unusual way: unlike most fish, they are viviparous. In the mother's body, the fetus develops and is nourished using a system similar to the mammalian placenta, but in born sharks the hammerhead is turned back towards the body. This makes their birth easier. With age, the head acquires the famous T-shape that distinguishes adult sharks. But why are these sharks viviparous when almost all other fish are oviparous?
For example, a small cat deep sea shark lays eggs every few weeks and firmly attaches them to different nooks and crannies. These primary eggs are expelled from the body before the offspring can develop on their own. Small catsharks grow inside an egg capsule and one of the first organs that can be identified is a tiny heart.
For several weeks she will feed on the valuable yolk sac left by her mother. They are born tiny and defenseless, and few survive.
Hammerhead sharks have the opposite strategy. When the calf is born, it is already about 50 centimeters in length and swims well. It's necessary. The local waters are full of predators, and the faster the offspring move, the greater their chances of survival.
The large concentration of hammerhead sharks makes the bay off Cocos Island a mecca for shark biologists. The hammerhead shark seems like a strange creature to people, especially because of the shape of its head, and we tend to treat everything strange with fear and distrust. Hammerhead sharks have such a strange shape that many questions arise regarding the evolution of this unusual structure, why did it appear, what is it suitable for, if it has some function, then what is it?
Because of this elongation, the shark's eyes were located at the edges of the hammer. Humans primarily navigate using their eyes, which is why we have binocular vision. It is difficult for us to imagine how one can exist when the eyes look into different sides. And we automatically start to think that this is definitely inconvenient compared to what we are used to.
It is clear that these sharks are not able to see straight ahead like other sharks. But without seeing what's ahead, she sees the world through her peripheral vision. Movement from side to side helps fill the gap, but this is hardly what you would expect from a predator. The eyes are protected by nictitating membranes. There are nostrils along the edges of the head, as well as pores on the surface of the head - with their help, the shark detects the electric field of its prey.
At the bottom of the bay, young sharks learn to hunt. In shallow water, the skin quickly darkens. They are the only known animals that can sunbathe, besides us. If a shark is out hunting, you need to be alert.
Why does the family sphyrnidae (hammerheads) need such a head shape? This is a question that biologist Stephen Kajiura from Florida Atlantic University set out to resolve in 2009. His team managed to catch six alive and healthy hammerhead sharks from three different types, they were taken to a specially built pond in the university building.
Microscopic electrodes connected to research equipment were inserted into the sharks' corneas. Each hammerhead shark was restrained and shown a picture of a series of lights in front of each of its eyes, while instruments recorded the electrical activity of the fish's eyes. According to research results, it has been established that the peripheral vision of hammerhead predators is three times superior to the vision of sharks of other species!
But, on the other hand, the hammerhead shark has acquired a large dead zone in front of its nose, the picture of which is inaccessible to its eyes. That’s why hammerheads try to move their heads more actively from side to side, reducing the dead zone of vision.
According to the head of the research, Michel McComb, a potential victim of hammerheads should stay in an area inaccessible to view and she may openly laugh at the predator who has suddenly lost sight of the object of the hunt. At the end of the research, all sharks were released back into their habitat alive and healthy - the number of hammerhead sharks is falling every year.
Kula hammer prefers to hunt in a group of relatives; the 3D image received by its brain allows the predator not to be left without prey in the bottom waters. Shrimp and crabs, stingrays and octopuses, various bottom fish - they have little chance of escaping from a shark armed with precise natural sensors.
Hammerhead sharks, according to ichthyologists, are the latest evolutionary development of nature, which appeared not so long ago (about 20 million years ago). The founder of the family was giant shark hammer (Sphyrna mokarran), it was from it that smaller species of hammerheads originated – this was the conclusion reached by Andrew Martin, a biologist at the University of Colorado.
According to the scientist, the reason for the origin of smaller hammerhead sharks is associated with early puberty, i.e. predators once stopped needing the protection that a large body provides and directed their energy towards reproduction.
Hammerhead sharks have an advantage over other families of predators - their flat and wide head contains a larger number of sensors (for example, ampullae of Lorenzini), which allows them to find invisible prey hidden by a layer of sand.
Data from visual observation and readings from electric pulse sensors are summarized and combined together - the hammerhead shark receives complete information, the picture contains “marks” where a potential victim may be located. And here the low position of the predator’s mouth is very convenient - to grab and swallow bottom inhabitants.
Humanity is trying to invent perfect sensors for industrial and research purposes, but hammerhead sharks already have them - evolution has taken care of it.
Bighead Hammerfish(Eusphyra blochii) is one of the representatives of the hammerhead shark family, which was isolated in own gender. This species is distinguished from its closest relatives by incredibly long and narrow lateral outgrowths on the head, topped with eyes (this is clearly visible in the photo). Often the width of the muzzle is 40-50% of the length of the fish’s body (usually the length of a shark does not exceed 1.85 m).
The first specimens of the large-headed hammerhead were described by Georges Cuvier back in 1817, but only in 1822 this fact was certified by a notary and the perevelina species as a separate genus. Subsequent DNA analysis of the bighead shark showed that it cannot be considered the ancestor of other hammerhead fish, such as giant hammerhead shark. This species appeared unexpectedly and has survived to this day, and representatives of the genus Sphyrna later evolved from other fish species.
Distributed bighead hammerhead in shallow waters and continental shelves from Persian Gulf to the Philippines, in the coastal waters of southern China, Taiwan, and throughout Oceania up to the shores of northern Australia.
The shark's body color is gray or gray-brown on top, paler underneath. It feeds mainly on small bony fish, and less often eats crustaceans and cephalopods.
Like other sharks, the bighead lays eggs with embryos. The young are born at the beginning of the monsoon season (April-May), mating takes place in June-August. Thus, females carry eggs for about 8 months. Young individuals at birth are 32-45 cm long; they become sexually mature when they reach a size of about 110 cm.
Apparently, the large-headed hammerhead fish does not pose any danger to humans. In India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Thailand, these sharks are popular fisheries. Their meat is used for food, the liver is rich in fat, and the remains are used to make bone meal.
The common hammerhead shark belongs to the family of hammerhead sharks of the order Carchariformes, class of cartilaginous fish - like the rest of its relatives. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, a famous naturalist from Sweden. It is also called the smooth hammerhead shark or the common hammerfish.
Smooth - because it does not have a depression in the outer edge of the “hammer”, characteristic of other types, due to which it is shaped like a bow. Currently, eight species of hammerhead sharks are known to science, these are the hammerheads - roundhead, West African, Panamo-Caribbean, bronze and smallhead, as well as the hammerhead sharks - giant, smalleye giant and common.
The small-eyed basking shark Scalloped Hammerhead is found in the Eastern and Western Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, its length does not exceed 4.5 meters. The common hammerhead shark is similar to the giant shark in almost every way except its length.
Of the entire family, this species has the widest habitat - it can be found in almost all oceans, except the Arctic Ocean and tropical waters. It is difficult to determine the exact boundaries of the hammerhead shark’s habitat due to its strong similarity to other species of hammerhead sharks.
As a rule, it stays closer to the surface at a depth of less than twenty meters - but there have been recorded cases of encountering it at depths of up to 200m. This species prefers coastal waters, but it can also be found in the open ocean, and even sometimes in fresh waters of rivers.
Is a hammerhead shark dangerous to humans?
No, it's not dangerous if we're talking about about whether a person is a planned target of a shark’s hunt. These predators do not feed on people and do not consider humans as prey.
Yes, it is dangerous when it comes to attacks on people. Such sad incidents are known to history. Moreover, the hammerhead shark is one of the ten most dangerous sharks for humans in terms of the possibility of unprovoked aggression.
However, the main reason for the attacks is that, by a strange and tragic coincidence, the hammerhead shark chooses the shallow waters most beloved by vacationers to breed. During this period, hammerheads are extremely aggressive, so precedents occur from time to time, especially in the Hawaii area.
However, much more harm is done to hammerhead fish by humans, who exterminate millions of unfortunate predators for the sake of obtaining fins - the main ingredient of the legendary, fabulously expensive soup.
One of the most amazing inhabitants of the underwater depths is the hammerhead fish. Although it may seem harmless, in fact this predator poses a danger even to humans.
Family Hammerheads
Scientists know nine species of hammerhead sharks, differing in color, size, head shape and the waters in which they live. This whole family is divided into two genera: Eusphyra and Sphyrna. In the first group there is only one representative - the wing-headed shark. Her “hammer” is equal in size to almost half of her body, and the width of her head differs from other representatives of this family. There are eight more “sisters” in the second group, the largest of which can reach 6 meters. This entire family is related to felids, mustelids and gray sharks.
Appearance
Many people are attracted by the way the hammerhead fish looks. The body of the predator is practically no different from the shark we are used to. It has a streamlined shape, and the color varies depending on the genus. Basically, the back is dark (gray, brown), and the belly is light. But it is the head that is of particular interest. Its shape is T-shaped. The structure of the head itself depends on the “breed” of the predator; it can be large or, conversely, have small size. But the main thing is that each individual has a unique shape, which is why it is called a hammerhead fish. The photo can be seen below. The eyes are located at the ends of the “processes” of the head. These fish are able to see 360 degrees. It is interesting that in these predators the vision depends on the latitude of the “hammer”. The larger it is, the better the area in front of it is visible.
What does it eat?
The hammerhead is a predator that feeds on other fish, shellfish, skates and crayfish. It is known that these sharks are not afraid even of stingrays, so their diet may include these underwater inhabitants. This fish has a very flexible body, which allows you to make deft maneuvers without giving the victim a chance to break away. In addition, powerful fins give the fish speed. The shape of the head serves as a kind of stabilizer when moving. All these characteristics make the hammerhead shark a winner in fights, even with an opponent that is larger than it. In addition, its agility allows it to attack not only predatory fish, but also mammals.
Although the hammerhead is a fearless hunter, it is a lazy fish. Therefore, some sailors noticed how schools of these sharks followed huge ships for several days, feeding on waste that people threw overboard.
Danger to humans
Looking at the small mouth of a hammerhead shark located at the bottom of its head, you can hardly say that it poses a danger to humans. Of course, this predator does not specifically hunt people, but still it is in third place in the number of attacks on vacationers. The fact is that hammerhead fish become very aggressive during the breeding season, and to breed young they swim to warm waters off the coast. It is in these places that holidaymakers usually relax. In a fight with this creature, a person never remains victorious.
But hammerhead sharks also become victims of people because they are a valuable fishery product. The fins, liver and meat of the predator are highly valued in cooking. These parts are very tasty and are in huge demand. The remains are ground into flour, from which fish products are prepared. In addition, shark skin is no less valuable.
Reproduction
The shape of the head is not the only thing that attracts hammerhead fish. The description of how these predators reproduce is also surprising. They are viviparous, while other fish spawn. Mothers carry their young in much the same way as mammals. At birth, the baby’s “hammer” is turned towards the body in order to be born without difficulty. Gradually, the head of the fish becomes like that of adults.
At one time, a mother can bring from 15 to 30 babies, who are already “taught” to swim well. The length of each reaches approximately half a meter. But after a few months they become one meter tall and show aggression, like all adults.
Habitats
These sharks prefer to be in temperate and warm waters. They can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. While the fish is still young, it stays in shallow water or at the bottom of bays. In these places it is easier for them to acquire the skill of a hunter. Growing up, they go deep-sea diving.
The world that is close to us, but difficult to study and observe, is undersea world. Despite the fact that it is very close, it has been studied less than the surface of Mars. Nevertheless, people are interested in the unusual, and sometimes mysterious, inhabitants of this kingdom. Even toy manufacturers are stirring up this interest: for example, the giant hammerhead shark CO.MAXI, released not long ago by DeAgostini, makes children wonder what kind of creature this is, how it lives and how dangerous it is.
Description
The body of this fish is similar to that of its relatives, except for the unique shape of the skull. The basking hammerhead shark is the most... major representative not only of the hammerhead family, but also one of the largest sharks in general. Apart from the Arctic, these fish can be found in all oceans. This predator often appears even off the rather cold shores of the Primorsky Territory of Russia - in the summer they are frequent guests in the Sea of Japan.
It is noticeably different from its relatives in the unique structure of the skull - on the head of the fish there is a growth in the shape of a regular rectangle. Its span is 25-27% of the entire body, while the anterior edge is curved very slightly. This shark's mouth is shaped like a strongly curved sickle. The teeth are quite small, triangular, their edges are jagged. There are 17 rows of teeth in the upper jaw of a shark, and 16-17 in the lower jaw.
All shark fins are shaped like a sickle. The largest is the anterior dorsal one. Distinctive feature of young individuals is the dark corner of the posterior dorsal fin. The trailing edge of all fins has significant curvature.
The body is unevenly colored: dark brown, gray and olive on the back, very light, almost white, on the belly. No spots or patterns were observed on any individual.
The giant hammerhead shark, the description of which can kill the desire to frolic in the ocean waves, has such a name for a reason. The average body length is 4-5 meters. However, there were also much more large specimens. It is not uncommon for fish to be about 6 meters long, but the largest shark caught was 7.89 m long. The weight of the most impressive individuals can exceed 500 kg. Heaviest weight was recorded in a female pregnant with fifty-five cubs - 580 kg.
Habitat
The giant hammerhead shark does not have a clear habitat - it likes to travel to different regions. You can see it both in the island and shelf zones of the seas and oceans. It is found both in temperate latitudes and in tropical latitudes.
The Atlantic Ocean is “mastered” by sharks from Uruguay to North Carolina, from Senegal to Morocco. Fish swim into the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, into the Gulf of Mexico.
In the Pacific and Indian oceans, the giant hammerhead shark is found almost everywhere: both off the coast of Australia and off Polynesia. You can meet it from Peru to Southern California.
There is information, but it is not documented, that individual specimens were caught off the coast of Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The shark prefers to spend time in coastal areas, hunting in the water column from the surface to at least 80 meters deep. Prefers to live in lagoons and coral reefs. It may choose a cozy place on the slopes of the islands or look for deep-sea places near the shore.
It has been noted that sharks are subject to seasonal migrations: warm time years are sent to higher latitudes.
Nutrition
The giant hammerhead shark, like any other representative of this species of fish, is a predator. It feeds mostly on bony fish, crustaceans, reef (and if you're lucky, even larger) sharks, and stingrays. Loves very much seahorses and poisonous stingrays. The spines of stingrays do not interfere with the predator at all - there are known cases when hundreds of these tools were stuck in the belly of a caught individual. Sometimes attacks marine mammals. There are known cases of attacks on people.
Behavior
For the most part, hammerhead sharks are loners. For hunting they use electrosensory senses, smell and binocular vision.
Reproduction
The giant hammerhead shark, a photo of which can make you give up diving, produces offspring every two years. The gestation period of embryos is 11 months. One litter can contain from 6 to 55 cubs, but such a number is rare. On average, fish bring from 20 to 40 fry. The length of newborns is 50-70 cm.
Unlike other sharks, these sharks prefer to mate near the surface of the water. Puberty occurs when the female grows to 2.5-3 meters. Males only need to reach 2.3-2.7 meters in length.
These fish live on average 20-30 years, but there are also those whose life lasts more than half a century.
Danger
In the ranking of the most dangerous creatures for humans, this fish is in the top ten (among ocean inhabitants). However, in reality, shark attacks do not occur very often. Divers who met her in the water claim that most often she does not show aggression, but only curiosity. However, you shouldn’t rely too much on this when you sink to the bottom. More than one is known per person.
The main reason for the rarity of cannibalism among these sharks is its infrequent occurrence in densely populated areas. The most cases of attacks were recorded in the Philippines, Hawaii and the Florida Islands - it is in these areas that most hammerhead sharks prefer to breed.
Fishing
Despite the high danger of this fish for humans, the latter poses a much greater danger to the entire species. High taste qualities shark fins have led to active fishing for this fish. They are especially fond of it in Asian countries - in these regions fish are being destroyed at a gigantic rate. Currently, its numbers are very small and continue to decline. These days, the hammerhead shark is endangered. It is for this reason that it was listed in the International Red Book. Which, however, does not prevent certain groups of people from continuing to engage in its fishing.