Scalloped Hammerhead
Sphyrna lewini
- Class
- Cartilaginous fish
- Rarity
- Epic
- Observations
- 1,188
- Most observed in
- 🇨🇲 Cameroon
- Conservation
- Critically Endangered
Description
The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as Zygaena lewini. The Greek word sphyrna translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of this shark's head, which is its most distinguishing characteristic. The shark's eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the extensions. It is a fairly large hammerhead, but is still smaller than both the great and smooth hammerheads. This shark is also known as the bronze, kinky-headed, or southern hammerhead. It primarily lives in warm, temperate, and tropical coastal waters all around the globe between latitudes 46°N and 36°S, down to a depth of 500 m (1,600 ft). It is the most common of all hammerheads.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Scalloped hammerhead”.