top of page

Hummerhead shark

Hummernead (Sphyrna zigaena), or Common hammerhead shark. The genus includes three species (Sphyrna mokarran - Giant hammerhead shark, Sphyrn tiburo - Kapor and Sphyrna zygaena - Common hammerhead shark, which can be caught in the Seychelles).

The characteristic flat head, divided into two lobes, ending in eyes with independent innervation, was the reason that, for example, in India, this shark is called horned. Olive gray or dark gray top and white bottom. Fins of the same color with black tips. The largest recorded parameters: length - 500 cm, weight - 400 kg.

Quite common, and not only in the tropics, species. It is found both in the open sea and in the coastal zone. Young sharks are usually found in large schools. It hunts small sharks, rays and other fish, but can eat octopuses, crabs and even sticky fish. It can be dangerous to humans, but in terms of aggressiveness it is significantly inferior to the blunt shark and mako shark (bonito). A fast and strong swimmer, it migrates long distances to the north during the warm season. It feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates (shrimps, crabs, mollusks), fish (herring, mackerel, rays, sharks), and squids. The IGFA record for a common hammerhead shark caught in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand was 148.1 kg.

bottom of page