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Scalloped Hammerhead
Carcharhiniformes

Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

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Max Length

4.3m

Litter Size

14 to 26 pups

Overview

Recognizable by the scalloped front edge of its cephalofoil. Forms large daytime schools of hundreds of individuals — one of the few sharks to do so. Critically endangered due to the global fin trade and bycatch.

Habitat

These sharks prefer to be over continental and insular shelves, adjacent to deep water. They can range from the surface to more than 902.2 ft [275 m] deep, but are often close inshore and in enclosed bays and estuaries. Juveniles mainly stay inshore.

Distribution

Tropical & subtropical seas worldwide

Scalloped hammerhead sharks are found world-wide in warm temperate and tropical seas. They are a migratory, schooling, coastal-pelagic, semi-oceanic species that travel within the EEZ of many coastal nations. These sharks aggregate in huge numbers, making them extremely vulnerable to commercial and illegal fishing. Many scientists believe, like the passenger pigeons, scalloped hammerhead sharks may only breed when they form large aggregations.

Behavior

They are seasonally migratory, and also are schooling sharks. They are a coastal-pelagic and semi-oceanic shark as well.

Biology

Diet
Bony fishes, sharks, rays, and invertebrates.
Reproduction
Scalloped hammerhead sharks have long gestation periods (8 to 12 months), and bear litters of only 14 to 26 pups

Appearance

Scalloped Hammerhead illustration
Dorsal
Light grey or bronzy above, white below, with dusky or black-tipped pectoral fins, with a dark blotch on their lower caudal fin lobe.
Sources:sharksorg

Recorded incidents involving the scalloped hammerhead

Recorded

1

Fatal

0

Fatality rate

0.0%

Years

1968–1968

Top countries

Years with most incidents

Counts are based on the species field of the Global Shark Attack File. Identifications by witnesses are often uncertain; treat figures as recorded incidents, not authoritative totals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded involving the scalloped hammerhead?
1 incidents in the Global Shark Attack File mention the scalloped hammerhead, of which 0 were fatal (0.0%). Note that witness species identifications are often uncertain, so this is the count of recorded incidents.
Where do most scalloped hammerhead incidents occur?
The countries with the most recorded scalloped hammerhead incidents are South Africa.
Is the scalloped hammerhead dangerous to humans?
The scalloped hammerhead is not considered dangerous to humans under normal conditions. There are few or no recorded incidents involving this species.
Where does this species data come from?
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed taxonomy and published references. Incident data is sourced from the Global Shark Attack File and joined to species records by name match.
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