Hammerhead shark facts by Eternal_Knight 2011/03/11 15:00
There are nine typesof hammerhead sharks. They are as listed below:
*.Scalloped hammerhead
*.Great hammerhead
*.Smooth hammerhead
*.Whitefin hammerhead
*.Scalloped bonnethead
*.Winghead shark
*.Scoophead hammerhead
*.Bonnethead or shovelhead hammerhead
*.Smalleye hammerhead
Facts about the Hammerhead Shark
Hammerhead shark belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Chondrichthyes and order Carcharhiniformes. They belong to the family Sphyrnidae and genus Sphyrna . Hammerhead sharks lives in herds or schools. However, they hunt alone in the dark. The herd strength can be as big as 10-20 hammerhead sharks per school. On one rare occasion, off the coast of the Australia, the herd was reported to be consisting of approximately 200 hammerhead sharks.
The list of hammerhead shark facts is presented below:
*.Hammerhead sharks have acquired their name because of the distinct shape of their head. Their head is flat, is laterally extended and resembles a hammer. Such a structure is called a cephalofoil.
*.Their eyes are located at the end of the lateral part of the head. These wide-set eyes improve their ability to see and locate their prey in the murky waters of the sea.
*.In addition to the eyes, they use a specialized sensory organ referred to as the ampullae of Lorenzini, to detect the electrical field generated around their prey's body. This organ is so sensitive that it allows them to locate stingrays, their favorite food buried under the sand, at the bottom of sea.
*.It is believed that they can receive and transmit low frequency sonar waves to find a prey.
*.These are carnivore fish which consume other fish, seals, octopus and squid as their food.
*.Hammerhead sharks are creatures of the deep sea and canreach a speed of 40 km/h or 25 mi/h.
*.There life span is recorded to be of 25 years, if they can successfully manage to evade their natural enemies such as thetiger sharks, killer whales or the great white shark.
*.Depending on their type, the length of the hammerhead shark can vary from 3 feet to 20 feet.
*.The great hammerhead shark is the largest among the hammerheads and can be as big as 20 feet or 6 meters in the length. A matured great hammerhead shark can weigh 450 kg or 1000 pounds.
*.Color of the hammerhead sharks can range from gray-brown to olive-green on top. The color of the belly of the hammerheads is off-white.
*.These types of sharks can be identified by their extended dorsal fin and mallet-shaped head.
*.Hammerhead shark habitat is the warm water of tropical and temperate seas. Generally, they keep to coastal and offshore waters.
*.It is believed that the hammerhead sharks are belong to the Carcharhinidae family. Wingedhead shark is considered to be the most basal member of the phylogenetic chart of the hammerhead sharks.
*.Hammerhead sharks, like other sharks, do not have mineralized bones in their body. Because of this reason, it is rare to find a fossilized hammerhead shark, a fact which is in sharp contrast to the dinosaurs. This has made it very difficult to determine the time of their first appearance on Earth.
*.Like rest of the sharks , a hammerhead shark female gives birth to its baby.
*.Young hammerhead shark babies prefer shallow waters off coasts, wherein their enemies cannot penetrate.
*.One of the hammerhead shark facts which can set your mind at rest, is that out of the nine hammerhead sharks, the great hammerhead, the smooth hammerhead and the scalloped hammerhead may be dangerous to man. However, their attack ona swimmer or diver may be because of a mistake on their part, in wrongly identifying man as a seal, their natural prey in thewild.
*.In the summer, as schools or herds, they migrate in search of cool waters.
Hammerhead shark fishing , is done for the purpose of supplying their fins, which are considered as delicacy. The rest of hammerhead shark's body is converted into food for other animals, such as fish or dog. Their teeth are sold, as souvenirsto tourists. Of the nine hammerhead shark species the great hammerhead and the scalloped hammerhead are in thelist of endangered species , while the smalleye hammerhead shark is listed as vulnerable animal.
There are nine typesof hammerhead sharks. They are as listed below:
*.Scalloped hammerhead
*.Great hammerhead
*.Smooth hammerhead
*.Whitefin hammerhead
*.Scalloped bonnethead
*.Winghead shark
*.Scoophead hammerhead
*.Bonnethead or shovelhead hammerhead
*.Smalleye hammerhead
Facts about the Hammerhead Shark
Hammerhead shark belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Chondrichthyes and order Carcharhiniformes. They belong to the family Sphyrnidae and genus Sphyrna . Hammerhead sharks lives in herds or schools. However, they hunt alone in the dark. The herd strength can be as big as 10-20 hammerhead sharks per school. On one rare occasion, off the coast of the Australia, the herd was reported to be consisting of approximately 200 hammerhead sharks.
The list of hammerhead shark facts is presented below:
*.Hammerhead sharks have acquired their name because of the distinct shape of their head. Their head is flat, is laterally extended and resembles a hammer. Such a structure is called a cephalofoil.
*.Their eyes are located at the end of the lateral part of the head. These wide-set eyes improve their ability to see and locate their prey in the murky waters of the sea.
*.In addition to the eyes, they use a specialized sensory organ referred to as the ampullae of Lorenzini, to detect the electrical field generated around their prey's body. This organ is so sensitive that it allows them to locate stingrays, their favorite food buried under the sand, at the bottom of sea.
*.It is believed that they can receive and transmit low frequency sonar waves to find a prey.
*.These are carnivore fish which consume other fish, seals, octopus and squid as their food.
*.Hammerhead sharks are creatures of the deep sea and canreach a speed of 40 km/h or 25 mi/h.
*.There life span is recorded to be of 25 years, if they can successfully manage to evade their natural enemies such as thetiger sharks, killer whales or the great white shark.
*.Depending on their type, the length of the hammerhead shark can vary from 3 feet to 20 feet.
*.The great hammerhead shark is the largest among the hammerheads and can be as big as 20 feet or 6 meters in the length. A matured great hammerhead shark can weigh 450 kg or 1000 pounds.
*.Color of the hammerhead sharks can range from gray-brown to olive-green on top. The color of the belly of the hammerheads is off-white.
*.These types of sharks can be identified by their extended dorsal fin and mallet-shaped head.
*.Hammerhead shark habitat is the warm water of tropical and temperate seas. Generally, they keep to coastal and offshore waters.
*.It is believed that the hammerhead sharks are belong to the Carcharhinidae family. Wingedhead shark is considered to be the most basal member of the phylogenetic chart of the hammerhead sharks.
*.Hammerhead sharks, like other sharks, do not have mineralized bones in their body. Because of this reason, it is rare to find a fossilized hammerhead shark, a fact which is in sharp contrast to the dinosaurs. This has made it very difficult to determine the time of their first appearance on Earth.
*.Like rest of the sharks , a hammerhead shark female gives birth to its baby.
*.Young hammerhead shark babies prefer shallow waters off coasts, wherein their enemies cannot penetrate.
*.One of the hammerhead shark facts which can set your mind at rest, is that out of the nine hammerhead sharks, the great hammerhead, the smooth hammerhead and the scalloped hammerhead may be dangerous to man. However, their attack ona swimmer or diver may be because of a mistake on their part, in wrongly identifying man as a seal, their natural prey in thewild.
*.In the summer, as schools or herds, they migrate in search of cool waters.
Hammerhead shark fishing , is done for the purpose of supplying their fins, which are considered as delicacy. The rest of hammerhead shark's body is converted into food for other animals, such as fish or dog. Their teeth are sold, as souvenirsto tourists. Of the nine hammerhead shark species the great hammerhead and the scalloped hammerhead are in thelist of endangered species , while the smalleye hammerhead shark is listed as vulnerable animal.
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