Hammerhead Shark

Fact File: Common Name(s): Hammerhead Shark (Smooth Hammerhead) (others:Balance fish; Black Hammerhead Shark) Scientific Name: Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) Usual Size: To 400cm UK Record Weights from rod/line: Shore: Boat: MAFF Minimum Size: Shore: Boat:

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. Breeding: Placentally viviparous - with litter sizes from 30/37 pups. Size at birth 50/60cm Females mature at 304cm and Males mature at 256cm. 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. Food: Boney fishes, other sharks, squids and octopus plus crustaceans. Range: For UK waters from the western coast of Ireland and Southern British waters down to the Canary Islands 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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