Species: Sphyrna mokarran, Great hammerhead shark, Great hammerhead


Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837)
Great hammerhead, Great hammerhead shark
A large hammerhead shark with broad, side extensions on the head forming a blade-like hammer (width 23-27% of TL); front margin of head nearly straight in adults, more rounded in juveniles, with shallow central and side indentations; teeth triangular, strongly serrated, lower teeth straight, upper teeth oblique & deeply notched on rear side, rear teeth like front teeth; five gill slits, last one over pectoral; first dorsal fin very tall and curved, with pointed tip; second dorsal fin large, height > length of 3rd gill slit; second dorsal and anal fins with strongly notched rear edges, their bases about equal; pelvics large, with strongly concave rear borders; transverse pit above tail base crescent shaped, a pit below tail base; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, notched under tip of top lobe, large lower lobe.
Grey brown on back and sides, whitish below; no markings on fins.
Reaches 610 cm.
A coastal pelagic and semi-oceanic species.
Depth range: 1-300 m.
World-wide in coastal and offshore warm temperate and tropical seas; North Carolina to Brazil.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Offshore
- In & Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Bottom
- Near Surface
- Habitat
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- Water column
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Sharks/rays
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- No pelagic larva
- Live birth
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Also in Brazil
- Extends South of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Critically endangered
- Listed
- CITES
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- Appendix II
- Listed
- Length Max
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- 610
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 300