The scoophead shark is a small hammerhead species found in shallow waters around Central and South America.
Scoophead Shark Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Sphyrnidae |
| Genus | Sphyrna |
| Scientific Name | S. media |
Description
These are one of the smallest sharks reaching 59 inches at maximum, with males being 35 inches and females being 39-52 inches on average. Its cephalofoil is shaped like a mallet, around 22-33% of the shark’s total body length.
They are dorsally grey-brown and light below.
Where do they live
Map Of The Scoophead Shark’s Habitat
These sharks swim in the western Atlantic from Panama to southern Brazil and the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Ecuador.
They live in the shallow waters of coastal habitats.
Behavior
Feeding
Scoophead sharks feed on bony and cartilaginous fish, crabs, octopi, and shrimp.
Reproductive
Like other hammerheads, the scoophead is viviparous, giving birth to a litter of 1-8 pups. Initially, the shark is 13.4 inches tall.
Adaptations
They use their cephalofoils to detect electric fields generated by creatures swimming around them.
Interactions with humans
This shark is sometimes caught as a bycatch and is sold as fishmeal. The IUCN lists it as “Critically Endangered” or “CR” because the shark’s rarity puts it at risk of overfishing.
