Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks

Name: Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (A.K.A the Bronze, Kidney-Headed, or Southern Hammerhead)
Scientific Name: Sphyrna lewini (originally Zygaena lewini)
Length: About 14 feet
Weight: About 330 pounds

Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks get their name strictly because of their heads. As you can see in the picture (above), It's head is a T-shape and in between it's eyes, it has a scalloped look. Hence, the "Scalloped" Hammerhead. Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks are the most common form of Hammerhead Shark. When you think "Hammerhead," the image that pops into your mind is usually a Scalloped Hammerhead Shark.

Hammerhead Sharks generally travel in schools reaching up to the hundreds in size.
These sharks very seldom a threat to humans. If you're a diver, and you have all your gear, the chances of a hammerhead coming anywhere near you a very slim because they're actually afraid of the sound that your regulator and air tank make when you're breathing.

Hammerheads have an interesting way of hunting. The way their heads are shaped actually helps them find their food despite how their eyes are positioned. They have small electromagnetic sensors in their heads that help them find electrical impulses from smaller sea life hiding in the sand. Even when the prey is hiding under the sand or blending in, they pick up on the electrical impulse of their heartbeats and go down for the attack. 

In June, 2006 a report was filed about an alleged "new" type of Scalloped Hammerhead. The report claimed that the sighting of this "new" Scalloped Hammerhead was on a beach in South Carolina. 


Image courtesy of www.wallpapers-diq.com