Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) fish species and information / pictures of Great hammerhead - Sphyrna mokarran

Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) fish species information

Scientific Name
Sphyrna mokarran

Common Name
Great hammerhead

Biology
A coastal-pelagic, semi-oceanic shark, found close inshore and well offshore, over the continental shelves, island terraces, and in passes and lagoons (Ref. 244, 58302). Often bottom and reef associated at 1-80 m (Ref. 58302). Prefers to feed on stingrays and other batoids, groupers and sea catfishes, but also preys on other small bony fishes, crabs, squid, other sharks, rays, and lobsters (Ref. 244, 13562, 1602). A viviparous species, with 13-42 of about 56 to 70 cm young in a litter (Ref. 26938, 1602). Potentially dangerous to people (Ref. 13562) but only few, if any, of the attacks on people can be definitely attributed to it because of the apparent difficulty of distinguishing large hammerhead species involved in attacks (Ref. 244). Caught occasionally by target shark longline, demersal tangle net and tuna gillnet fisheries (Ref.58048). Meat utilized for

Classification

Classified By
R?ppell, 1837
Class
Sharks and Rays (Elasmobranchii)
Order
Ground sharks (Carcharhiniformes)
Family
Hammerhead / bonnethead / scoophead sharks (Sphyrnidae)

Distribution

Region
Circumglobal in coastal warm temperate and tropical seas (Ref. 13562). Western Atlantic
Distribution
Circumglobal in coastal warm temperate and tropical seas (Ref. 13562). Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean and Morocco to Senegal. Indo-Pacific: throughout the Indian Ocean; Ryukyu Islands to New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Eastern Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico to Peru. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139).
Range
45°N - 37°S, 180°W - 180°E

Environment

Climate
Subtropical
Water Temperature From
Unknown °C
Water Temperature To
Unknown °C
Depth From - meters
1 m
Depth To - meters
300 m
Zone
pelagic-oceanic
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 300 m (Ref. 37816)
Trophic Level
4.32 s.e. 0.72 Based on diet studies.
Occurs in Marine / Salt water
True
Occurs in Brackish water
True
Occurs in Fresh Water
False
Occurs on Reefs
False
Is kept in Aquariums
False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length
610 cm
Common Length
370 cm
Phylogenetic Diversity Index
PD50 = 0.5059 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Vulnerability
Very high vulnerability (85 of 100)
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=13)
Threat To Humans
Other (Ref. 244)
IUCN Red List Status
  Endangered (EN) (A2bd+4bd)