Giant hammerhead shark: description and photo. Secrets of the hammerhead shark Photos of the hammerhead shark

Giant fish are not uncommon in modern times. The hammerhead shark is considered one of them, since its body length can reach 6 m. It lives in warm ocean waters and prefers tropical climate. The front facial edge of this animal is straight, and dorsal differs in a sickle shape. The fish leads a solitary lifestyle and preys on cartilaginous and cephalopod fish.

The hammerhead shark is a large fish and leads a solitary lifestyle.

Shark classification

The hammerhead family includes several main species. Classic representatives are common and big-headed . The list also includes sharks:

West African;
large-headed;
bronze;
Panamanian;
Caribbean;
gigantic.

The giant hammerhead shark is considered the most aggressive, fast and maneuverable due to which it poses a great danger to its neighbors in sea waters. The length of its body varies from 4 to 6 m, but some specimens reach 8 m. Predators were able to take root well in warm waters Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They prefer to stay in packs. They can be found near underwater rocks. The largest groups gather at midday and disperse at night until the next morning.

The giant hammerhead shark is considered the most aggressive, fast and maneuverable.

It is noteworthy that predators can live both at impressive depths and at the very surface of the water. They like Coral reefs, sometimes they allow themselves to swim into the lagoon and scare people walking nearby. The highest concentration of predators is concentrated around Hawaiian Islands. Nearby is the Institute of Marine Biology, where important Scientific research, dedicated to hammerhead fishes.

External signs

The head has lateral projections. Their entire area is covered with particularly sensitive cells. They are necessary for the shark to receive signals from nearby living organisms. A predator can catch even a fairly weak impulse without any problems. The layer of sand is not a serious obstacle for her, and therefore the victim cannot hide in its thickness. Until recently, it was believed that the unusual shape of the head was designed to maintain the balance of the fish. But it turned out that this stability is ensured by the special shape of the spine.

The lateral growths are located opposite each other. Here are located big eyes rounded shape. Their features:

golden color of the iris;
the presence of a nictitating membrane and eyelids;
non-standard arrangement, due to which the predator has a 350-degree view.

We can say that this animal has everything necessary tools to detect the enemy. They are visual and sensory. In counteracting the enemy, the hammerhead shark also uses sharp, smooth teeth. They have a triangular shape, are distinguished by a peculiar slope and invisible notches.

Hammerhead shark - fish, a fish that is well oriented in space. She manages to amazingly capture the Earth's magnetic field, so the fish does not stray from the intended course. The body is dark gray or brown above and white below.

Features of reproduction

These are viviparous fish. During mating, the male sinks his teeth into the body of his partner. It takes 11 months to bear a baby. Usually, from 20 to 55 babies are born, with a length of 40 to 50 cm. Nature made sure that the female was not injured during childbirth. To do this, the cubs' head is located not across, but along the body. As soon as they get out of the womb, the fish begin to move actively. Maneuverability and speed of response allow them to escape from possible enemies. Often their role is played by other sharks.

What does a predator eat?

Hammerhead sharks like to feast on squid, crabs and octopus. Their diet also consists of:

sea bass;
dusky sharks;
hedgehog fish;
croaker;
sea crucian;
horse mackerel.

But their favorite type of food is stingrays. To catch prey, the predator leaves its lair in the morning or after sunset. At this time, he swims at the very bottom and waves his head. He does this on purpose to stir up the stingray. Having discovered the victim, the shark hits its body with its head. This is followed by a bite that makes it impossible to resist.

A shark tears a stingray apart. Surprisingly, the toxic spines that cover the body of these creatures do not pose a danger to sharks. One day, a shark was discovered off the coast of Florida with about 90 of these spines in its mouth. Often these fish become prey for local fishermen, as they get caught on baited hooks.

An interesting fact is that the hammerhead shark can exchange signals with its fellows. It conveys information about 10 different situations that may occur. Most often these are warning signals.

Relationship with a person

In Hawaii, sharks are held in high esteem; they are treated almost like deities. Aborigines believe that the hammerhead fish protects people and creatures inhabiting the ocean waters. Some even think that the souls of deceased relatives live in these fish. But, sadly, it is here, on the islands, that cases of shark attacks on humans are most often recorded. Most of all it goes to tourists who like to swim in shallow water.

The fact is that this is where female fish breed their offspring. During this period, individuals can be quite aggressive.

For humans, the hammerhead shark is not dangerous if it does not violate its boundaries and does not pose a threat to its offspring. She does not see a person as a source of food, and therefore will never deliberately attack him. However, her character is unpredictable, and therefore any action can push her to attack. Experts say you should avoid:

sharp swings of legs and arms;
rapid turns to the sides.

For humans, the hammerhead shark is not dangerous if it does not violate its boundaries and does not pose a threat to its offspring.

If you have to swim away from a predator, you need to do it very slowly and in an upward direction. This way you will avoid attracting the attention of a predator. The most dangerous varieties today are:

gigantic;
ordinary;
bronze.

In a fight between sharks and people, the latter often win. People have learned to extract shark oil, which is used to treat diseases. Gourmets like to eat these fish, including making world-famous fin soup.

This often results in thousands of animals being killed. For this reason, large-headed hammerhead fish are at risk. She was declared an endangered species.

When encountering a hammerhead shark, don't take too long to look at it amazing creature. The shockingness of her exterior is directly proportional to the unmotivated aggression shown towards a person. If you see a “sledgehammer” floating towards you, hide.

Strange shaped head

Thanks to it, you will never confuse the hammerhead shark (lat. Sphyrnidae) with another inhabitant depths of the sea. Her head (with huge outgrowths on the sides) is flattened and divided into two parts.

The ancestors of hammerhead sharks, as DNA tests have shown, appeared about 20 million years ago. By studying DNA, biologists came to the conclusion that the most typical representative of the family Sphyrnidae should be considered the large-headed hammerhead fish. It stands out from other sharks with the most impressive head growths, the origin of which is being tried to be explained by two polar versions.

Supporters of the first hypothesis are confident that the head acquired its hammer-shaped shape over several million years. Opponents insist that the bizarre shape of the shark's head arose due to a sudden mutation. Be that as it may, this sea predators I had to take into account the specifics of my outlandish appearance when choosing prey and lifestyle.

Types of hammerhead sharks

Family (from class cartilaginous fish) called hammerhead fish or hammerhead shark is quite extensive and includes 9 species:

Common hammerhead shark.
Bighead Hammerfish.
West African hammerfish.
Roundhead hammerfish.
Bronze hammerfish.
Smallhead hammerfish (shovel shark).
Panamo-Caribbean hammerhead fish.
Small-eyed basking hammerhead shark.

The latter is considered extremely ferocious, maneuverable and fast, which makes it the most dangerous. It differs from its relatives in its enlarged size, as well as in the configuration of the front edge of the “hammer”, which has a straight shape.

Giant hammerheads grow up to 4-6 meters, but sometimes specimens approaching 8 meters have been caught.

These most dangerous predators for humans and other representatives of the Sphyrnidae family have taken root in the tropical and warm-temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

This is interesting! Sharks (mostly females) often gather in groups in underwater rocks. Increased numbers are observed at noon, and at night the predators disperse until the next day.

Hammerheads have been spotted both on the surface of the ocean and quite great depth(up to 400 m). They prefer coral reefs, often swim into lagoons and scare vacationers in coastal waters.

But the largest concentration of these predators is noted near the Hawaiian Islands. It is not surprising that it is here, at the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology, that the most serious scientific research on hammerhead sharks is carried out.

Description

The lateral outgrowths increase the area of the head, the skin of which is dotted with sensory cells that help to pick up signals from a living object. A shark is able to catch very weak electrical impulses emanating from the bottom of the sea: even a layer of sand where its prey will try to hide will not become an obstacle.

Recently, the theory that the shape of the head helps hammerheads maintain balance when turning sharply has been debunked. It turned out that the shark’s stability is given by its spine, which is arranged in a special way.

On the lateral projections (opposite each other) there are large round eyes, the irises of which are painted golden yellow. The organs of vision are protected by eyelids and supplemented by a nictitating membrane. The non-standard location of the shark's eyes contributes to full (360 degrees) coverage of space: the predator sees everything that happens in front, below and above it.

Possessing such powerful enemy detection systems (sensory and visual), the shark does not leave him the slightest chance of salvation. At the end of the hunt, the predator presents its last “argument” - a mouth with a row of smooth sharp teeth. By the way, the giant hammerhead shark has the most terrible teeth: they are triangular, inclined towards the corners of the mouth and equipped with visible serrations.

This is interesting! A hammerhead fish, even in pitch darkness, will never confuse north with south, or west with east. Perhaps she picks up the magnetic field of the globe, which helps her stay on her chosen course.

The body (against the background of the head) is unremarkable: it resembles a huge spindle - dark gray (brown) on top and dirty white below.

Reproduction

Hammerhead sharks are classified as viviparous fish. The male performs sexual intercourse in a very unique way, piercing his partner with his teeth.

Pregnancy, which occurs after successful mating, lasts 11 months, after which from 20 to 55 excellent swimming babies (40-50 cm in length) are born. To prevent the female from being injured during childbirth, the heads of the baby sharks are turned not across, but along the body.

Having emerged from the mother's womb, the baby sharks begin to actively move. Reaction speed and maneuverability save them from potential enemies, which often become other sharks.

Hammerhead shark catch

Hammerhead sharks love to indulge in seafood such as:

octopus and squid;
lobsters and crabs;
sardines, horse mackerel and sea catfish;
sea crucian carp and sea bass;
flounder, urchinfish and toadfish;
sea cats and croakers;
mustelids and dusky gray sharks.

But the hammerhead shark has the greatest gastronomic interest. The predator goes hunting at dawn or after sunset: in search of prey, the shark approaches the bottom and waves its head to raise the stingray.

Having discovered the prey, the shark stuns it with a head blow, after which it holds it with a “hammer” and bites so that the stingray loses the ability to resist. Next, she tears the stingray into pieces, capturing it with her sharp mouth.

Hammerhead fish quietly carry toxic stingray spines left after a meal. One day, a shark was caught off the coast of Florida with 96 of these spines in its mouth. In the same area, giant hammerhead sharks (guided by their keen sense of smell) often become a trophy for local fishermen, attacking baited hooks.

This is interesting! Currently, biologists have recorded approximately 10 signals that hammerhead sharks exchange when gathering in schools. Scientists have proven that some of the signals serve as a warning; the rest have not yet been deciphered.

Man and hammerhead shark

Only in the Hawaiian Islands are sharks equated to sea deities who protect people and regulate the number of oceanic fauna. The Aborigines believe that the souls of their dead relatives are transferred to sharks, and the greatest respect is shown to sharks with hammerheads.

Paradoxically, it is Hawaii that annually fills up reports of sad incidents related to attacks by hammerhead sharks on humans. This can be explained quite simply: the predator enters shallow water (where tourists swim) to breed. At this time, the hammerhead fish is especially nervous and aggressive.

A priori, a shark does not see a person as its prey, and therefore does not specifically hunt him. But, alas, these predatory fish have a very unpredictable temperament, which can prompt them to attack in an instant.

If you accidentally encounter this sharp-toothed creature, remember that sudden movements (swinging arms and legs, quick turns) are absolutely prohibited. You need to swim away from the shark up and very slowly, trying not to attract its attention.

Of the 9 species of hammerhead sharks, only three are considered dangerous to humans:

giant hammerhead shark;
bronze hammerfish;
common hammerhead shark.

The remains of human bodies were discovered more than once in their torn stomachs.

However, biologists believe that in undeclared war between hammerhead sharks and civilized humanity, humans win by a landslide.

In order for patients to be treated with shark oil, and gourmets to enjoy dishes made from shark meat, including the famous fin soup, their owners are exterminated in the thousands. In the name of profit, fishing companies do not comply with any quotas or regulations, which is why the numbers of certain Sphyrnidae species have decreased alarmingly.

The big-headed hammerhead fish, in particular, is at risk. Her, along with two other quantitatively decreasing related species, The International Union for Conservation of Nature called it “vulnerable” and included it in a special Appendix regulating the rules of fishing and trade.

The giant hammerhead shark (lat. Spyrna mokkaran) is the largest representative of the family (Sphyrnidae). Some specimens can reach a body length of up to 610 cm. This predatory fish is larger in size than (Sphyrna zygaena) and can be dangerous to humans.

The first description of the species was made in 1837 by the German zoologist Eduard Rüppel.

Spreading

The giant hammerhead shark is found in all waters of the World Ocean in tropical and subtropical climate. In the Atlantic Ocean, it is most often observed from the southeastern coast of the United States and Mexico to the southern coast of Brazil, and from Morocco to Senegal near the African continent.

In the Indian Ocean, the shark lives in all coastal regions, and in the Pacific region from California to Peru in the west and from Southeast Asia to the northwest coast of Australia. Occasionally it appears in the Red and even the Mediterranean Sea.

The habitat of this species is between 40° north and 37° south latitude.

The fish like to migrate to coral reefs and shallow waters close to the continental shelf. If necessary, it dives to depths of up to 80 m, and in extreme cases up to 300 m.

Behavior

The giant hammerhead shark roams in splendid isolation and, as a rule, avoids encounters with other related species that live near reefs. When faced with inevitable contact with predators of approximately the same size as itself, it demonstrates aggressiveness by lowering its pectoral fins and swimming extremely cautiously.

While adults may not be afraid of attack, juveniles often become victims (Carcharhinus leucas). The only people who pose a serious threat to them are people with whom they try to avoid contact as much as possible.

The diet consists of various invertebrates (crabs, squid, cuttlefish and octopus). Among bony fishes, basking hammerhead sharks prefer rockfishes (Serranidae), flounders (Pleuronectiformes) and catfishes (Siluriformes). The largest specimens most often prey on stingrays (Batomorfi), especially (Dasyatidae), to whose poison they are immune.

Voracious predators often attack smaller sharks and representatives of their own species, primarily juveniles.

Fish go fishing at dusk or at the beginning of the night.

They rely on many senses to find prey, including main role ampullae of Lorenzini play, capturing electric fields and reacting even to their insignificant changes. They are located mainly on the head near the snout, eyes and nostrils and are tubes-channels with a jelly-like mucous substance that open into small pores on the surface of the skin.

Several nerve fibers approach the ampullae of Lorenzini, through which the received signals enter the brain. Thanks to their use, it is possible to very accurately localize the location of a potential victim.

With a sharp movement of his big head The hammerhead shark presses the stingray from above to the bottom, depriving it of the ability to move and inflicting fatal bites on it.

Reproduction

Puberty in males it occurs upon reaching a body length of 230-270 cm, and in females 210-250 cm. The species is one of the viviparous sharks. Offspring are born exclusively in the tropical climate zone.

Depending on the habitat, mating occurs in the surface layers of water, and births occur in the spring and early summer north of the equator, and off the coast of Australia in December and January.

The duration of pregnancy is 330-360 days. After the contents of the yolk sacs are consumed, the embryos begin to feed on the mother's blood through the resulting placental connection.

The female usually gives birth to 20-40 sharks. At birth, their body length is 50-70 cm, and they lack the hammer-shaped head structure characteristic of adults, which appears with the onset of puberty.

The young try in every possible way to avoid meeting their older fellow tribesmen, who actively practice cannibalism towards them. The greatest threat to the younger generation is represented by (Galeocerdo cuvier) and (Carcharodon carcharias).

Description

The average length of adult individuals is 450-550 cm, and weight is 220-450 kg. Front edge the head is almost straight, and its width reaches 25% of the length of the body.

The back is gray-brown, olive-brown or grey colour. The ventral side is predominantly white, a little less often slightly grayish.

The eyes are located at the edges of the “hammer”. During swimming, the head rotates in a horizontal plane to the left and right. The very large dorsal fin is located in the middle of the back. The additional dorsal fin is much smaller and is located closer to the tail.

The caudal fin is located strictly vertically, it top part more than the bottom. Pectoral fins have a triangular shape.

The thick skin is covered with placoid diamond-shaped scales. Sharp triangular teeth with jagged ends are arranged in rows in each jaw, 17 on each side. There are 2-3 teeth on the symphysis (cartilaginous junction).

Basking hammerhead sharks typically live 20-30 years. Some specimens live up to 50 years of age.

Hammerhead shark- one of the most unusual creatures of nature. The eccentric appearance of the hammerhead shark inspires wonder mixed with fear, especially to those who have to encounter it for the first time. In addition to the unusual shape of its head, this predator is also distinguished by its rather large size: the average length of hammerhead sharks is a little more than 4 meters, and some specimens reach 7-8 meters.

The non-standard appearance and impressive dimensions do not prevent this fish from developing high speed and exhibit rare maneuverability. The characteristics of the predator include its ferocity of character: it is believed that it is almost impossible to emerge victorious in a fight with this shark. There are many mysteries surrounding the hammerhead fish.

And although many amazing features The behavior of sharks has already been revealed by scientists, some questions still remain unanswered. So what is known today about the hammerhead shark - a creature whose predatory grin quickens your breath and freezes your heart when you look at it?

The hammerhead shark is a newborn species in the shark family. It is believed that they appeared only 40 million years ago. But no one is really sure about this. We know too little about the origins of the hammer. Sharks almost never leave fossils, and this main source information about the animal's past.

What remains of ancient fish, whose skeletons consisted of strong bones, is detailed history evolution. But the skeleton of sharks consists mainly of cartilage, so usually only teeth and jaws remain. This means we have little evidence about the origins of hammerhead sharks.

Biologists have always believed that the shark's head acquired the hammer shape we now see gradually, over millions of years. And what is known is that the streamlined head shape typical of a shark expanded every generation by a tiny distance. Millions of years later, the hammerhead sharks we know today appeared.

But recent genetic research data has completely overturned this theory. Now some scientists believe that the hammer did not appear as a result of gradual changes, but was the result of a sudden, bizarre mutation. To many biologists, this sounds like heresy, the kind of idea that would make Darwin turn over in his grave.

Nature does sometimes give birth to freaks, but they almost never survive. Sometimes it turns out that one of these mutants survives, and then a new one is born. Was the first hammerhead shark one of these freaks? It is only possible that the terribly deformed head instilled in her new way existence.

Her eyes were so slanted to the sides that she could not look straight, making it impossible to hunt using her sight. All that was left was to either adapt or perish.
Having sunk to the bottom, she began to rely on other senses in search of food and turned into the skilled hunter we know today.

It may seem like science fiction, but this theory really explains the appearance of such a strange hammer-shaped head.
The evolutionary history of the hammerhead shark has been very successful. These days they are one of the most commonly found shark species in the world, and in some places they gather in astounding numbers.

Hundreds of individuals cruise around seamounts. Few other shark species form such large schools. This is one of the most big secrets ocean. Why do so many of these sharks gather in one place, at one time? Oddly enough, in these huge flocks the majority are female, and we do not yet know why this happens.

When gathering in schools, sharks send signals to each other by changing their posture or sharply moving their heads. At least nine different signals were recorded; perhaps there are many more. Some signals are clear warnings; in the meanings of others we can only guess.

The largest and most aggressive females vie for the best spot in the center of the school, because this is where the males flock in search of the strongest females. Mating of hammerhead sharks has not yet been studied. This is such a rare phenomenon that almost no one has ever observed it. Females are often covered in battle scars. During mating, males bite into their partner with their teeth, and in warm tropical waters wounds quickly become infected.

Hammerhead sharks breeding in an unusual way: Unlike most fish, they are viviparous. In the mother's body, the fetus develops and is nourished using a system similar to the mammalian placenta, but in born sharks the hammerhead is turned back towards the body. This makes their birth easier. With age, the head acquires the famous T-shape that distinguishes adult sharks. But why are these sharks viviparous when almost all other fish are oviparous?

For example, a small cat deep sea shark lays eggs every few weeks and firmly attaches them to different nooks and crannies. These primary eggs are expelled from the body before the offspring can develop on their own. Small catsharks grow inside an egg capsule and one of the first organs that can be identified is a tiny heart.

For several weeks she will eat valuable yolk sac abandoned by his mother. They are born tiny and defenseless, and few survive.

Hammerhead sharks have the opposite strategy. When the baby is born, it is already about 50 centimeters in length and swims well. It's necessary. The local waters are full of predators, and the faster the offspring move, the greater their chances of survival.

The large concentration of hammerhead sharks makes the bay off Cocos Island a mecca for shark biologists. The hammerhead shark seems like a strange creature to people, especially because of the shape of its head, and we tend to treat everything strange with fear and distrust. Hammerhead sharks have such a strange shape that many questions arise regarding the evolution of this unusual structure, why did it appear, what is it suitable for, if it has some function, then what is it?

Because of this elongation, the shark's eyes were located at the edges of the hammer. Humans primarily navigate using their eyes, which is why we have binocular vision. It is difficult for us to imagine how one can exist when the eyes look into different sides. And we automatically start to think that this is definitely inconvenient compared to what we are used to.

It is clear that these sharks are not able to see straight ahead like other sharks. But without seeing what's ahead, she sees the world through her peripheral vision. Movement from side to side helps fill the gap, but this is hardly what you would expect from a predator. The eyes are protected by nictitating membranes. There are nostrils along the edges of the head, as well as pores on the surface of the head - with their help, the shark detects the electric field of its prey.

At the bottom of the bay, young sharks learn to hunt. In shallow water, the skin quickly darkens. They are the only known animals that can sunbathe, besides us. If a shark is out hunting, you need to be alert.

Why does the family sphyrnidae (hammerheads) need such a head shape? This is a question that biologist Stephen Kajiura from Florida Atlantic University set out to resolve in 2009. His team managed to catch six alive and healthy hammerhead sharks from three different species, and they were taken to a specially built pond in the university building.

Microscopic electrodes connected to research equipment were inserted into the sharks' corneas. Each hammerhead shark was restrained and shown a picture of a series of lights in front of each of its eyes, while instruments recorded the electrical activity of the fish's eyes. According to research results, it has been established that the peripheral vision of hammerhead predators is three times superior to the vision of sharks of other species!

But, on the other hand, the hammerhead shark has acquired a large dead zone in front of its nose, the picture of which is inaccessible to its eyes. That’s why hammerheads try to move their heads more actively from side to side, reducing the dead zone of vision.

According to the head of the research, Michel McComb, a potential victim of hammerheads should stay in an area inaccessible to view and she may openly laugh at the predator who has suddenly lost sight of the object of the hunt. At the end of the research, all sharks were released back into their habitat alive and healthy - the number of hammerhead sharks is falling every year.

Kula hammer prefers to hunt in a group of relatives; the 3D image received by its brain allows the predator not to be left without prey in the bottom waters. Shrimp and crabs, stingrays and octopuses, various bottom fish - they have little chance of escaping from a shark armed with precise natural sensors.

Hammerhead sharks, according to ichthyologists, are the latest evolutionary development of nature, which appeared not so long ago (about 20 million years ago). The ancestor of the family was the giant hammerhead shark ( Sphyrna mokarran), it was from it that smaller species of hammerheads originated – this is the conclusion reached by Andrew Martin, a biologist from the University of Colorado.

According to the scientist, the reason for the origin of smaller hammerhead sharks is associated with early puberty, i.e. predators once stopped needing the protection that a large body provides and directed their energy towards reproduction.

Hammerhead sharks have an advantage over other families of predators - their flat and wide head contains larger number sensors (for example, ampullae of Lorenzini), which allows them to find invisible prey hidden by a layer of sand.

Data from visual observation and readings from electric pulse sensors are summarized and combined together - the hammerhead shark receives complete information, the picture contains “marks” where a potential victim may be located. And here the low position of the predator’s mouth is very convenient - to grab and swallow bottom inhabitants.

Humanity is trying to invent perfect sensors for industrial and research purposes, but hammerhead sharks already have them - evolution has taken care of it.

Bighead Hammerfish(Eusphyra blochii) is one of the representatives of the family of hammerhead sharks, which is separated into its own genus. This species is distinguished from its closest relatives by incredibly long and narrow lateral outgrowths on the head, topped with eyes (this is clearly visible in the photo). Often the width of the muzzle is 40-50% of the length of the fish’s body (usually the length of a shark does not exceed 1.85 m).

The first specimens of the large-headed hammerhead were described by Georges Cuvier back in 1817, but only in 1822 this fact was certified by a notary and the perevelina species as a separate genus. Subsequent DNA analysis of the greathead shark showed that it cannot be considered the ancestor of other hammerhead fish, such as the basking hammerhead shark. This species appeared unexpectedly and has survived to this day, and representatives of the genus Sphyrna later evolved from other fish species.

Distributed bighead hammerhead in shallow waters and continental shelves from the Persian Gulf to the Philippines, in the coastal waters of southern China, Taiwan, and throughout Oceania up to the coast of northern Australia.

The shark's body color is gray or gray-brown on top, paler underneath. It feeds mainly on small bony fish, and less often eats crustaceans and cephalopods.

Like other sharks, the bighead lays eggs with embryos. Young animals are born at the beginning of the season monsoon rains(April-May), mating takes place in June-August. Thus, females carry eggs for about 8 months. Young individuals at birth are 32-45 cm long, becoming sexually mature when they reach a size of about 110 cm.

Apparently, the large-headed hammerhead fish does not pose any danger to humans. In India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Thailand, these sharks are popular fisheries. Their meat is used for food, the liver is rich in fat, and the remains are used to make bone meal.

The common hammerhead shark belongs to the family of hammerhead sharks of the order Carchariformes, class of cartilaginous fish - like the rest of its relatives. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, a famous naturalist from Sweden. It is also called the smooth hammerhead shark or the common hammerfish.

Smooth - because it does not have a depression in the outer edge of the “hammer”, characteristic of other types, due to which it is shaped like a bow. Currently, eight species of hammerhead sharks are known to science, these are the hammerfish - roundhead, West African, Panamo-Caribbean, bronze and smallhead, as well as hammerhead sharks - giant, smalleye giant and common.

The small-eyed basking shark Scalloped Hammerhead is found in the Eastern and Western Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, its length does not exceed 4.5 meters. The common hammerhead shark is similar to the giant shark in almost every way except its length.

Of the entire family, this species has the widest habitat - it can be found in almost all oceans except the North Arctic Ocean and waters tropical zone. It is difficult to determine the exact boundaries of the hammerhead shark's habitat due to its strong similarity to other species of hammerhead sharks.

As a rule, it stays closer to the surface at a depth of less than twenty meters - but there have been recorded cases of encountering it at depths of up to 200m. This type is more popular coastal waters, but it can also be found in open ocean, and even sometimes in fresh waters rec.

Is a hammerhead shark dangerous to humans?

No, it's not dangerous if we're talking about about whether a person is a systematic target of a shark’s hunt. These predators do not feed on people and do not consider humans as prey.

Yes, it is dangerous when it comes to attacks on people. Such sad incidents are known to history. Moreover, the hammerhead shark is one of the ten most dangerous sharks for humans in terms of the possibility of unprovoked aggression.

However, the main reason for the attacks is that, by a strange and tragic coincidence, the hammerhead shark chooses the shallow waters most beloved by vacationers to breed. During this period, hammerheads are extremely aggressive, so precedents occur from time to time, especially in the Hawaii area.

However, much more harm is done to hammerhead fish by humans, who exterminate millions of unfortunate predators for the sake of obtaining fins - the main ingredient of the legendary, fabulously expensive soup.

From a huge number sea creatures The hammerhead shark stands out for its unusual shape heads. The awkward head arouses curiosity and the question - where did such growths come from? The amazing “profile” is not consistent with the usual appearance of fast-swimming large fish. At first glance, such a “decoration” is very inconvenient and creates a lot of problems for sharks.

Description

There is little information about the origin of hammerhead sharks. The skeleton of fish consists mainly of cartilage, so specialists mostly only have teeth to study. Externally, if you do not take into account the head, the hammerhead shark looks like an ordinary fish. The large, spindle-shaped, muscular, strong body is dark on top, with a slightly noticeable greenish tint, and light below. The protective coloring helps it blend perfectly with its surroundings.

The flat head has noticeable lateral growths. They have eyes at the edges. The mouth is located at the bottom of the head, the shape of the teeth is triangular. The sizes depend on the species. The smallest are within a meter, the largest can grow up to 6 meters.

The hammerhead shark (the facts confirm this), although extremely rarely, attacks people. Out of nine known species- three represent real threat. The animal attacks only after provocation from a person. They live in flocks, with an average number of 10-20 individuals. Group life helps in hunting and defense. Studying the life of predators, biologists have identified 10 signals that they exchange, some of which serve as a warning. The young are vulnerable to killer whales and larger shark species.

They are very agile and can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. Agility and instant reaction help to obtain food. In nature they can live up to 30 years. The main threat to sharks is people. They are hunted for their fins, often with unjustified cruelty: the fin is cut off and the still living shark is thrown into the sea.

Nutrition

The relatively small size of the teeth does not allow them to hunt too large prey. The diet of the hammerhead shark (photo in the text) is quite varied:

crabs, lobsters;
squid, octopus;
stingrays;
dusky gray and gray mustelid sharks;
sea crucian carp, catfish, cats, croakers and perches, flounder, toad fish, hedgehog fish.

There are known cases of cannibalism. The basking hammerhead shark can feed on larger prey. Most of all, they prefer stingrays, not at all afraid of their poisoned thorns. During the day, predators gather in large flocks, and at night they go hunting. In the morning they get together again. The hunting tactics are simple: the shark swims near the very bottom, when it detects prey, it either stuns it with its head, or presses it to the bottom and eats it.

Reproduction

Puberty occurs when a certain length and body weight are reached. Females are slightly larger than males. Mating occurs closer to the surface, with the male able to sink his teeth into his partner. The gestation period is 10-11 months. Childbirth in the northern hemisphere occurs in late spring - early summer, on the Australian continent - in December-January. An interesting fact is that in cubs the hammer is directed along the body, which helps to avoid injuries during childbirth. When it gets into “free” water, it immediately becomes in a position familiar to adults. " Maternity hospitals“Small coastal bays serve; they usually have a lot of food.

The hammerhead shark (photo of the school in the text) is viviparous. Litter size ranges from 10 to 40 young. The number of babies directly depends on the size of the mother. Some species can produce offspring annually, but basking hammerhead sharks produce offspring once every two years. The young are born quite large, from 50 cm in length, capable of swimming quickly. For some time, the baby sharks stay close to their mother, receiving protection and the necessary survival experience.

Habitats

Different types Hammerhead sharks are common in warm temperate and tropical waters:

Pacific Ocean;
Atlantic Ocean;
Indian Ocean.

They can be found in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, in the Gulf of Mexico. Predators prefer to stay near coral reefs, lagoons, and continental plumes. They feel comfortable not only in shallow water, but also at depths of up to 80 meters. Some species are subject to seasonal migration. Schools and individuals can be found in the coastal strip and in the open ocean. Hammerhead sharks have been spotted offshore:

from North Carolina to Uruguay;
from California to Peru;
from Morocco to Senegal;
from Australia to the Ryukyu Islands and French Polynesia;
Gambia;
Guinea;
Mauritania;
Sierra Leone.

The maximum concentration of predators was recorded near the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology is known throughout the world for its scientific research related to these sharks.

Kinds

These predators belong to the order Carchariformes from the family of hammerhead sharks. The family includes two genera:

1. The genus roundhead hammerhead shark includes only one species - the roundhead (big-headed) hammerhead fish. The average size is 1.2-1.4 meters (maximum 185 cm). The T-shaped growth can reach 50% of the body length. The outgrowths are narrow, they are crowned with rather large eyes. The distance between the elongated large nostrils is twice the width of the sickle-shaped mouth, equipped with medium-sized teeth.

2. The genus of true hammerhead sharks is divided into species:

Bronze. The average body length is within 2.5 meters (maximum - 346 cm). A rather large streamlined body, on the upper side it has a dark gray, grayish-brown or olive color, smoothly turning into gray-white on the belly. The hammer on the leading edge is “decorated” with numerous notches, the trailing edge is somewhat concave.
Giant hammerhead shark. Individual individuals grow up to 6 meters, weigh more than half a ton, the average length is up to 3.5 m. The hammer span is within 30% of the body length, the shape is almost a regular quadrangle, especially noticeable in adult sharks. The crescent-shaped curved mouth is equipped with not very large triangular teeth. They have a jagged edge. There are 17 teeth on the upper jaw and 16-17 teeth on the lower jaw.
West African (white-finned). Rare and little-studied species. It is found along the western coast of the African continent from Congo to Senegal. The average size of females is up to 2.4 meters, males - up to 1.8 m, and there are individuals up to 3 meters long. The hammer swing is within 25% of the body length.
Roundhead. The smallest representative of the genus, length does not exceed 1 meter. It differs from other types by the oval leading edge and straight trailing edge of the hammer.
Small-eyed (golden). Small, up to 130 cm (record -148 cm) long, distinguished by a golden tint. Small eyes are located on the end ends of the hammer. Its width does not exceed 30% of the length of the body. The sickle-shaped mouth is equipped with thin front and wider lateral teeth with blunted tops. There are 15-17 of them on each jaw.

Smallhead (shovel shark). This species has the smallest head, the hammer looks more like a shovel. Average length within 120 cm. Shy, comfortable temperature water at least +20 °C.
Ordinary. The average size is 2.5-3.5 meters, large individuals can grow up to 5 meters. The hammer in the front part is convex and quite wide. The narrow sickle-shaped mouth is “armed” with small, triangular teeth jagged at the edges. There are slightly more of them on the upper jaw - up to 32 pieces, on the lower jaw - up to 30.
Panamo-Caribbean. Small representatives of the genus, average size up to a meter. The front edge of the hammer is arched, convex, the rear edge is straight. The width of the head is up to 23% of the body length; in young animals it can be up to 33%.

All of the above species differ in size, color, head shape, and habitat. There are only three of them to be wary of: bronze, giant and ordinary.

Gigantic

Because of their large fins, the basking hammerhead shark is hunted mercilessly. This species is listed in the International Red Book as endangered. In Asian markets, high-priced predator fins are the basis for the famous “shark fin soup.”

The main differences between giants and their relatives:

the front edge of the hammer is almost flat without bending, which gives the head a rectangular shape;
in size it exceeds all types;
They bear offspring once every two years; the litter ranges from 6 to 55 babies;
life expectancy can reach 50 years.

Hammer

The hammerhead shark is an excellent hunter. The hammer helps her masterfully find prey. Its outgrowths are covered with skin strewn with extremely sensitive nerve receptors. They are able to detect even the slightest fluctuations in temperature and water. A shark can detect an electrical impulse of one millionth of a volt. Like a real “mine detector,” sharks comb the bottom and unmistakably find stingrays in the sand.

The eyes located at the ends of the “wings” allow you to simultaneously monitor the situation 360° from above and below simultaneously. Only under their very nose they are unable to see anything. Constant movement moving your head from side to side eliminates this inconvenience. The main assistants in hunting are electromagnetic (sensory) receptors; they help to detect the electric field of even the smallest prey.

This is interesting

Not long ago, a new (as some scientists believe) species of hammerhead shark was discovered. Interesting Facts about special DNA, a different number of vertebrae (170, not the usual 190), genetics - all indicate that it “diverged” from the bronze shark about 4.5 million years ago. Now the question is about recognizing the new species and clarifying the status of the bronze hammerhead shark.