Living Beings
    Source-identified Sphyrna lewini; Documentary organism photograph. Framed for display
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    Bogenstirn-Hammerhaie Sphyrna lewini Schule in Galapagos.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Documentary organism photograph. kdaniel20816 · CC0

    Field guide · species

    Scalloped Hammerhead

    Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834)

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    The authority credits the formal scientific description of the name. A year records publication of that description.

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    AnimaliaChondrichthyesCarcharhiniformesCarcharhinidae

    A scalloped leading edge gives this hammerhead its common name. Adults can gather in large schools around oceanic features, while young sharks often use shallow coastal nursery habitats.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomAnimalia
    4. PhylumChordata
    5. ClassChondrichthyes
    6. OrderCarcharhiniformes
    7. FamilyCarcharhinidae
    8. GenusSphyrna
    9. SpeciesSphyrna lewini
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Metazoa kingdom
    5. Eumetazoa clade
    6. Bilateria clade
    7. Deuterostomia clade
    8. Chordata phylum
    9. Craniata subphylum
    10. Vertebrata clade
    11. Gnathostomata clade
    12. Chondrichthyes class
    13. Elasmobranchii subclass
    14. Selachii infraclass
    15. Galeomorphii clade
    16. Galeoidea superorder
    17. Carcharhiniformes order
    18. Carcharhinidae family
    19. Sphyrna genus
    20. Sphyrna lewini species
    Open in taxonomy explorer ↗

    Physical traits

    The head is broad and flattened, with a curved, indented front margin. The body has a tall first dorsal fin and a pale underside.

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    Habitat and range

    Coastal shelves, island slopes and offshore waters are used at different ages and times.

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    Diet and nutrition

    Fish and cephalopods are important prey. Feeding changes as sharks move from coastal juvenile habitat to deeper waters.

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    Behavior and activity

    Schooling and movements between daytime gathering sites and feeding areas are characteristic in some populations.

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    Reproduction and life cycle

    Females give birth to live young. Shallow coastal habitats provide nursery areas for juveniles.

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    Geographic distribution

    The species occurs in warm seas around the world. Its presence is uneven, and local populations can be strongly depleted.

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    Ecological role

    These sharks are large marine predators and also host parasites and visiting cleaner fish.

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    Distinctive adaptations

    The expanded head spreads sensory organs across a broad surface, supporting prey detection.

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    Conservation

    Targeted fishing, bycatch and loss of nursery habitat are major pressures. Protection needs to consider more than adult aggregation sites.

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    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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