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FISH FACTS |
Description
The Scalloped Hammerhead is a large hammerhead shark. The front of the head has an undulating margin with a central notch. The side wings of the head are narrow with margins swept backward. The first dorsal fin is high and second dorsal and pelvic fins are low. It is uniform grey, grey brown or olive above with white underside. The pectoral fins are tipped with grey or black on the underside. Juveniles have dark pectoral, lower tail fin and second dorsal fin tips. Adults are found singly or in pairs. Juveniles sometimes form large schools.
Size
length to 4.2m. Weight to 153kg.
Habitat
coastal waters and offshore waters over continental and island shelves to depth of about 275m. Often seen close inshore, and in bays and estuaries.
Food
fish, cephalopods, lobsters, shrimps, crabs
Breeding
Viviparous. Gives birth to 15 - 31 pups in a litter, Young are 43cm - 55cm at birth.
Range
The Scalloped Hammerhead is found in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world. In Australia it is found from north-western Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and south to the central coast of New South Wales.
Notes
The Scalloped Hammerhead is considered potentially dangerous, but is not usually aggressive. It does sometimes adopt threat posture when confronted with divers who approach too closely.
Classification
| Class: | Chondrichthyes | | Order: | Carcharhiniformes | | Family: | Sphyrnidae | | Genus: | Sphyrna | | Species: | lewini | | Common Name: | Scalloped Hammerhead |
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