The scalloped bonnethead is a small hammerhead shark found in the Pacific Ocean.
Scalloped Bonnethead Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Sphyrnidae |
| Genus | Sphyrna |
| Scientific Name | S. corona |
Description
At 36 inches, the scalloped bonnethead is one of the smallest hammerhead sharks. Its cephalofoil is shaped like a mallet and makes up 24-29% of the shark’s total body. The back and mouth are arched.
They are gray dorsally and white ventrally.
Where do they live
Map Of The Scalloped Bonnethead Shark’s Habitat
These sharks live in the eastern Pacific, with specimens spotted from Peru to Mexico. There have even been sightings in the Gulf of California.
The scalloped bonnethead prefers ocean bottoms made of a soft substrate like mud, sand, or gravel at depths of 328 ft, though it may wander off into estuaries and mangroves at times.
Behavior
Hunting
It is a bottom feeder, living on a diet of bony fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, echinoderms, and mollusks.
Reproductive
These sharks are viviparous and give live birth to two pups. The pups are 9 inches initially, while full-grown adults tend to become mature at 20-26 inches.
Adaptations
Their “hammerhead” helps detect the electrical fields produced by their prey.
Interactions with humans
The IUCN currently lists the scalloped bonnethead as “Critically Endangered” or “CR” due to how rarely it is spotted.
