HAMMERHEAD SHARK
Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758)
| Usual Size | To 400cm |
| UK Record Weight |
BOAT None
No Minimum size |
| Identification |
A distinctive shark in the fact that the head has two lateral lobes which
give it the distinct hammer shape and hence the name Hammerhead Colour: upper side of the body brown to grey and the underside paler in colour. |
| Habitat | Coastal
and offshore species, found from the surface down to depths of 400m This species of Hammerhead is the most temperate sea temperature tolerant. |
| Range | For UK waters from the western coast of Ireland and Southern British waters down to the Canary Islands |
| Food | Boney fishes, other sharks, squids and octopus plus crustaceans |
| Reproduction | Placentally
viviparous - with litter sizes from 30/37 pups.
|
| Additional Notes | Numerous un-quantified sightings of this fish have been made, though it is fairly certain that the species does reach our shores on rare occasions, usually in the summer months. |
| References | A Field Guide to The Sharks of British Coastal Waters - Vas 1991 FAO Species Catalogue 4 - Sharks of The World - Compagno Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean - Whitehead, Bauchot, Hureau, Nielsen, Tortonese Key to the Fishes of Northern Europe - Wheeler |
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