- Prehistoric
-
History
- Africa
- Age of Discovery
- Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Middle East
- Archaeology
- Aztec, Inca & Maya
- British history
- British kings and queens
- LET'S EXPLORE British history
- Castles & knights
- China
- Europe
- Explorers
- Famous leaders
- Famous women
- India
- Ireland
- Islamic world
- Japan
- Jewish history
- Latin America
- Modern history
- Mongols
- North America
- Oceania
- Pirates & galleons
- Romans
- Southeast Asia
- Vikings
- LET'S EXPLORE Ancient worlds
- LET'S EXPLORE Famous people
- Culture
- Geography
- Space
- Technology
- Science
- Life
- Earth
-
Amphibians
-
Animals
-
LET'S EXPLORE The animal kingdom
-
Birds
-
Domestic animals
-
Ecosystems
-
Fish
- Fish
- How do fish breathe?
- Coral reef fish
- Deep-ocean fish
- Eels
- Great white shark
-
Hammerhead shark
- Lampreys and hagfish
- Rays and skates
- Salmon
- Seahorses
- Sharks
- Sharks and rays A-Z
- Whale shark
- Extraordinary fish
- Fish A-Z
-
Human body
-
LET'S EXPLORE The human body
-
Insects
-
Land invertebrates
-
LET'S EXPLORE Mini-beasts
-
Life
-
Mammals
-
Marine invertebrates
-
Micro-organisms
-
Ocean life
-
Plants
-
Reptiles
-
LET'S EXPLORE The living world
Fish


CITE
We have made every effort to follow citation style rules, but there may be some minor differences. If in doubt, please refer to the appropriate citation style manual.
Hammerhead shark. (2013). In Q-files Encyclopedia, Life, Fish. Retrieved from
https://www.q-files.com/life/fish/hammerhead-shark/
"Hammerhead shark." Life, Fish, Q-files Encyclopedia, 9 Oct. 2013.
https://www.q-files.com/life/fish/hammerhead-shark/.
Accessed 24 Feb. 2019.
Hammerhead shark 2013. Life, Fish. Retrieved 24 February 2019, from
https://www.q-files.com/life/fish/hammerhead-shark/
Life, Fish, s.v. "Hammerhead shark," accessed February 24, 2019.
https://www.q-files.com/life/fish/hammerhead-shark/

Hammerhead shark
Front view of a hammerhead shark's head
Hammerhead sharks are a family of sharks that are distinguished by their extraordinary hammer-shaped heads, with eyes at each end. This unusual design gives them the widest field of vision of any shark—allowing them to spot prey easily. Most species feed on fish, squid or crustaceans, but larger species, the scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead sharks, are known to attack humans. There are nine species of hammerhead in all.
Head shape
The unusual shape of the hammerhead shark’s head, with one eye sticking out on each side, gives it nearly 360-degree vision, which helps it to look out for prey all around it. Like all sharks, its head also contains sensors, which detect electrical signals given off by other creatures. These can help the shark locate stingrays that hide under the mud on the sea floor. When a hammerhead young (called a pup) is born, its head is more rounded than its parents' head shape. The head may also be used to pin down the shark's prey on the seabed while it eats it. The shape is the perfect design for this use.


Hammerheads usually swim in schools during the day. Then, like other sharks, they become lone hunters at night.

© 2019 Q-files Ltd. All rights reserved. Switch to Mobile