The great hammerhead can be distinguished from other hammerheads by the shape of its "hammer" (called the "cephalofoil"), which is wide with an almost straight front margin, and by its tall, sickle-shaped first dorsal fin. [9][17] As of 2011, the International Shark Attack File lists 34 bites, 17 of them unprovoked and none fatal, attributable to hammerhead sharks of the genus Sphyrna. If confronted, they may respond with an agonistic display: dropping their pectoral fins and swimming in a stiff or jerky fashion. [2][3], The average minimum great hammerhead measures up to 3.5 m (11 ft) long and weighs over 230 kg (510 lb) while the average maximum measures up to 4.6 m (15 ft) long. Copy link. They do not actively seek out human prey, but … Web publication, social media pages, news broadcasts, TV shows, clip shows, documentaries, movies. This is especially true of pregnant females. [1][2] The typical lifespan of this species is 20–30 years;[2] the record Boca Grande female was estimated to be 40–50 years old. Improved global communications between ISAF, scientific observers and beach safety organizations as well as increased coverage of sharks in the media has heighten… During this time, hammerheads were responsible for 17 non-fatal, unprovoked attacks and 20 fatal, provoked attacks. It is found in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide, inhabiting coastal areas and the continental shelf. This effectively crippled the stingray, which was then picked up in the jaws and sawed apart with rapid shakes of the head. [2], The first dorsal fin is distinctive, being very tall and strongly falcate (sickle-shaped), and originates over the insertions of the pectoral fins. A woman was killed by a great white in Maine on Monday — the first fatal attack in the state's history. This species has a (possibly undeserved) reputation for aggression and being the most dangerous of the hammerhead sharks. In one account from the Bahamas, a mating pair ascended while swimming around each other, mating when they reached the surface. It is found all along the rim of the Indian Ocean, and in the Pacific Ocean from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia, and from southern Baja California to Peru. The great hammerhead catch rate in Indian Ocean has declined 73% from 1978 to 2003, though it is yet undetermined whether these represent localized or widespread depletion. If threatened, the great hammerhead shark may begin an aggressive display, swimming jerkily with the pectoral fins (the fins on either side of the body) side lowered. He sustained a bite to one of his feet. A small percentage of the population, mostly or all females, are much larger. This species is listed as globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Other non-fatal incidents … Shopping. Tap to unmute. The ray thus incapacitated, the shark once again used its head to pin it to the bottom and pivoted to take the ray in its jaws head-first. Due to its large size and sharp, serrated teeth, attacks from great hammerheads can cause serious injury and the shark should therefore be treated with caution. [4][5], The great hammerhead inhabits tropical waters around the world, between the latitudes of 40°N and 37°S. [2] However, for many years the valid scientific name for the great hammerhead was thought to be Sphyrna tudes, which was coined in 1822 by Achille Valenciennes. The ray thus incapacitated, the shark once again used its head to pin it to the bottom and pivoted to take the ray in its jaws head-first. It is also Endangered in the southwestern Indian Ocean, where large numbers of longline vessels operate illegally along the coasts for hammerheads and the giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis). can we have some more information about the nature of this dispute? In the Atlantic Ocean, it is found from North Carolina to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, and from Morocco to Senegal, and the Mediterranean Sea. On 2 October 2014 Sean Pollard, then 23, narrowly escaped becoming the ninth when he suffered a devastating attack by two great white sharks at the Esperance surf break where two and a … Zygaena mokarran Rüppell, 1837. Great hammerhead sharks also have a faster growth rate than the other hammerhead species and therefore reach maturity earlier, between 5 and 9 years old. The lectotype for this species is a 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long male from the Red Sea. A great hammerhead has also been seen attacking a spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) in open water by taking a massive bite out of one of its pectoral fins. As the human population continues to expand and as interest in outdoor aquatic recreational activities increases, the incidence of shark attacks is expected to rise. [3], The streamlined body of the great hammerhead with the expanded cephalofoil is typical of the hammerhead sharks. 13562) but only few, if any, of the attacks on people can be definitely attributed to it because of the apparent difficulty of distinguishing large hammerhead species involved in attacks (Ref. [8] Schools of pilot fish (Naucrates ductor) sometimes accompany the great hammerhead. They favor coral reefs, but also inhabit continental shelves, island terraces, lagoons, and deep water near land. [13] Off Florida, large hammerheads are often the first to reach newly baited sharklines, suggesting a particularly keen sense of smell. When fully grown, it gets to 6 meters in length (20ft) and weighs 170 kilograms (600 pounds). It is Endangered in the north-western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, where though it is a non-targeted species, populations have dropped 50% since the 1990s due to bycatch. This species has a viviparous mode of reproduction, bearing litters of up to 55 pups every two years. [1], No conservation measures specifically protecting the great hammerhead have been enacted. However, this view has been refuted by phylogenetic analyses using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, which found that the great hammerhead and the smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena) form a clade that is basal to all other Sphyrna species. The fins are unmarked in adults, while the tip of the second dorsal fin may be dark in juveniles. 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