Try This! Explore More. This shark's unusual name comes from the unusual shape of its head, an amazing piece of anatomy built to maximize the fish's ability to find its favorite meal: stingrays. Common Name: Hammerhead sharks.
Scientific Name: Sphyrnidae. Type: Fish. Diet: Carnivore. Group Name: School, shoal. Size: 13 to 20 feet. The shark uses these electromagnetic waves to find and identify prey that may be hiding underneath the sand.
These cephalofoil are consistent with each species of hammerhead, and makes identifying each species much easier for taxonomists. In terms of taxonomy, the hammerhead shark is in the Carcharhiniformes order, belonging to the Sphyrnidae family, and falling in the Sphyrna genus.
One of the most fascinating facts about hammerhead sharks is the amount of the species there are in its taxonomy. Altogether, there are nine species of hammerhead out there! However, there are five species of hammerhead shark that are found along the eastern United States. These are the Scalloped hammerhead, Scoophead hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, Bonnethead, and the Carolina hammerhead.
The most recognized hammerhead shark species out there is the Great hammerhead. These sharks are usually found dwelling in tropical to semi-tropical waters, including the Atlantic; from the coasts of North Carolina, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico.
This is one of the better Educational books, and can be used in the classroom or at home. You simply mix the ingredients, pour it into the molds, let it dry then paint them! The kit includes casts of a Great White, Hammerhead, and Thresher shark. An illustrated information packet is included that goes over fun facts and the differences between the three sharks. Hammerhead shark teeth have smooth cutting edges, and have a distinct notch on the distal side separating the crown and enameloid shoulder.
This is often referred to as a "hammerhead notch" Cocke, p. Their distal enameloid shoulder is another distinguishing characteristic. This shoulder is convex and often not serrated. Larger Sphyrna teeth can have week serrations on this shoulder. Hammerhead teeth also have a deep nutrient groove. All of these characteristics can be seen in the image below which shows a lingual and labial view of a hammerhead tooth.
This image shows a Sphyrna zygaena tooth. It labels some common tooth terminology associated with hammerhead teeth. The tooth is 1. Although some living hammerhead sharks have serrated teeth, extinct hammerheads usually do not.
Hammerhead teeth can be confused with gray shark teeth, especially worn gray shark teeth. They can also be confused with a smaller genus of shark, Rhizoprionodon sp. The image below shows a comparison between a worn hammerhead Sphyrna sp. This image shows a comparison between a worn Sphyrna, a worn lower Carcharhinus, and a Rhizoprionodon tooth. Fossil hammerhead shark teeth are found in any marine Miocene and Pliocene deposits.
These include deposits along the entire east coast of the United States. However, they are less common than many other shark species. Also, due to their relatively small size, they are often overlooked.
Refer to the identification images above when fossil collecting, so you don't confuse them with similar species of fossil sharks. Sphyrna zygaena aka laevissimus: Hammerhead Shark The Common Hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena still populates the Chesapeake bay today and is one of the largest sharks in the bay. Hammerheads at the Calvert Cliff area are much less common than grey shark teeth, and, if you're not careful, they can easily be confused with them.
However, notice the deep notch in the roots, also there are usually no serrations present on the teeth. Sphyrna sp. The two leftmost teeth are labial views, all others are lingual views. These are much less common than grey shark teeth, and, if you're not careful, they can easily be confused with them.
However, notice the deep notch in the roots, also there are no serrations present on the teeth. Castro, Jose L. Sharks of North American Waters. Hamlett, William C, ed. Sharks, skates, and rays : the biology of elasmobranch fishes. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press. Michael, Scott W. Reef sharks and rays of the world : a guide to their identification, behavior, and ecology.
Monterey, CA. Purdy, R. Bohaska eds. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, No Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. Quattro J. Sphyrna gilberti sp. Zootaxa, vol.
Genetic evidence of cryptic speciation within hammerhead sharks Genus Sphyrna. Marine Biology, March , Volume , Issue 5, pp To learn about the Author of this site, click on the image - J. We don't buy or sell fossils, so please don't email us asking about the value of a fossil or fossil purchases.
Hammerhead Shark Facts Hammerhead in the Galapagos, she is near the surface with a wave breaking in the background. Shop Rock Hounding Gear on Amazon. Shark Gallery Shark Facts. Shark Evolution Shark Origins and Evolution. Types of Shark Fossils Three's more than just teeth!
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