Kingdom- Animalia 

Phylum- Chordata

Class- Chondricthyes

Family Sphyrnidae

Order- Carcharhiniformes

Genus- Sphyrna

Species- Hammerhead Shark 

All Subspecies: Great Hammerhead, Bonnethead, Scalloped Hammerhead, Smooth Hammerhead, Whitefin Hammerhead, Carolina Hammerhead, Smalleye Hammerhead, Scoophead, Scalloped Bonnethead. 

Ancestors: Acanthodian, Leonodus, Cladoselache 

Has existed for 20 million years 

Closest living relative is the Spadenose Shark 

Shark like body, laterally flattened head, tall first dorsal fin, light gray in color, heterocercal tail 

Key characteristics: White belly, T shaped head, small mouth

3-19.5 feet 

6.5-1,300 lbs.  

30 year life span 

Males have claspers (modified pectoral fins) and are typically smaller than females  

Found worldwide in warm waters on coastlines, near continental shelves, in coral reefs ,or deeper waters

Live among manta rays, corals, sponges, sea turtles, dolphins, and various fish like barracuda and marlin 

Plants in habitat include phytoplankton, red algae, and seagrass 

Average Temperature: 68 degrees farenheit or above 

Average Rainfall: 40-60 inches 

Found everywhere except arctic regions 

Not invasive 

Eat fish, crabs, squid, octopus, smaller sharks 

Stingrays are their favorite food 

Uses their head to find rays hidden in the sand and will chase them to catch them

Particularly aggressive feeders 

Generally eat 2 times a day with an average consumption of 3 lbs. of food per day 

Some species swim in schools during the day but hunt alone at night and some species are always solitary 

They have no social structure or role 

Neither female or male led 

Scalloped hammerhead shark adults will sometimes come together 

Will use body language such as nodding their heads or  opening their mouths to communicate with each other however they are aggressive hunters and will deter sharks after the same prey 

Mating occurs once every 2 years 

Males may mate with multiple females in a breeding season but females will only have 1 mate 

Will mate in the spring or summer 

The male shark will bite the female shark violently until she agrees to mate with him 

Will produce anywhere from 6-42 pups 

Scientists have recently discovered that females can asexually reproduce

Shark pups immediately leave their mother once born then are juvenile until they reach sexual maturity (This is usually 8-9 years when they are about 6 feet long). 

Adulthood is reached after sexual maturity when they can reproduce and gestation periods are generally 9-11 months 

As males age, calcium is deposited into the claspers  

Baby hammerheads are born in coves or shallow waters near coasts then after 3 years will venture out to open ocean

Tiger sharks, great white sharks, and killer whales will eat hammerheads 

They do not kill each other during mating 

Diseases can be prevelent but aren't a main cause of death

Humans hunting hammerheads are the leading cause of death for them  

Interspecies competition is present 

Intraspecies competition is present with other sharks, large fish, crustaceans, etc. 

Competing for prey, space, resources, mates, etc. 

Lionfish are an invasive species that can consume the same prey as hammerheads which can affect populations 

All subspecies are listed from vulnerable to critically endangered 

There are only a few hundred of each species left

Species has lost over 80% of its population with a constant declining number 

Commercial fishing for the shark fin and meat trade has sent populations into endangerment (Especially in Australia)

If fishing continues at this rate, it will drive hammerheads into extinction 

Shark decline due to overfishing has been happening for 70 years 

Trying to ban shark fishing, donating to conservation, pushing for labelling on shark products, and other conservation efforts are currently being made