Hammerhead shark

A shark in the family Sphyrnidae, distinguished by a broad, flattened head with eyes near its outer ends. The head’s shape supports wide visual coverage and specialized sensory functions.

Sphyrnidae: The shark family comprising hammerheads, distinguished by flattened, laterally expanded heads. This family contains every hammerhead species.
Electroreception: The detection of electric fields through specialized sensory cells. Hammerheads use electroreception to detect prey that is hidden beneath sand.
Great hammerhead: The largest hammerhead species, known for its tall, nearly straight-edged cephalofoil. It is the largest and among the most recognizable members of the family.
Shark finning: The removal of a shark’s fins, often followed by discarding the animal at sea. Fin demand has contributed to steep declines in some hammerhead populations.
Cephalofoil: The flattened, expanded head structure characteristic of hammerhead sharks. Its shape gives hammerheads their defining silhouette and supports specialized sensing.
Visual field: The region of space visible to an eye or pair of eyes. The widely spaced eyes give hammerheads an unusually broad visual field.
Scalloped hammerhead: A widespread hammerhead species with a scalloped front edge to its cephalofoil. Its schooling behavior and broad range make it a well-studied species.
CITES: An international treaty regulating trade in endangered species of wild animals and plants. Several hammerhead species receive protections governing international trade.
Ampullae of Lorenzini: Electroreceptor organs that detect weak electric fields in water. Their wide distribution across the head helps hammerheads sense buried prey.
Prey detection: The sensory process by which an animal locates potential food. Hammerhead head shape may improve the detection and localization of prey.

Linked from 4 pages