Smooth hammerhead
📖 Overview
Occurs inshore and well offshore , over continental and insular shelves . Coastal, pelagic, and semi-oceanic, but often bottom associated at 1-139 m . Migrates northward in summer; young often in large aggregations of hundreds of individuals . Prefers to feed on small sharks, skates and stingrays, but also preys on bony fishes, shrimps, crabs, barnacles and cephalopods . Viviparous . Regarded as being dangerous to people, though only few can be tentatively attributed to this species due to its occurrence in temperate waters . Reported to cause poisoning . Caught occasionally by shark and tuna longline fisheries. Meat utilized fresh, dried-salted, and possibly smoked for human consumption; liver oil for vitamins, fins for soup, hide for leather, and carcasses for fishmeal . Used in Chinese medicine . Become sexually mature when 250 to 300 cm long. The female gives birth to 30 - 40 young .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. A large hammerhead without a notch at the center of the curved headhead ; but with prominent lateral indentations; prenarial grooves well-developed; snout short, 1/5 to less than a third of head width; mouth broadly arched ; the first dorsal fin is moderately high, the second dorsal and pelvic fins are low. Colour olive-grey or dark grey above, white below, and the undersides of the pectoral fin tips dusky .: elongated; Cross section: angular.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Smooth hammerhead is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Smooth hammerhead is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Viviparous, placental , with 20 to 50 young per litter after a gestation period of 10-11 months. Size at birth between 50-60 cm TL .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 200 m , usually 0 - 20 m . Subtropical; 59°N - 55°S, 180°W - 180°E
🌿 Ecology
small sharks, skates and stingrays, but also preys on bony fishes, shrimps, crabs, barnacles and cep
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Smooth hammerhead is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 181 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Smooth hammerhead has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Common Hammerhead · Common hammerhead shark · Common smooth hammerhead shark · Hammerhead shark · Round-headed hammerhead shark · Smooth Hammerhead · hammerhead · shovelhead shark |
| 🇸🇦Arabic | القرش أبو مطرقة الانسيابي |
| 🌍CYM | Morgwn Pen Morthwyl · morgi pen morthwyl |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Hammerhaj |
| 🇩🇪German | Glatter Hammerhai · Hamerhai · Hammerhai · Meerschlägel · Schlägelfisch · gemeiner Hammerfisch |
| 🌍ELL | Ζύγαινα |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Vasarahai |
| 🇫🇷French | Cagnole · Lou peï judiou · Marteau · Pantouflier lavaco · Peï jouziou · Peï martel · Peïs judieú · Requin marteau lisse · Requin-marteau commun · Scroesna · requin marteau |
| 🌍HEB | פטישן תמים-חרטום |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Pesce martello |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Shiroshumokuzame · シロシュモクザメ |
| 🌍LIT | paprastasis kūjaryklis |
| 🌍MLT | Kurazza · Kurazza komuni · Pixximartell |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Hamerhaai · Gladde hamerhaai |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Hamerhai |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Rekin mlot a. glowomlot pospolity · głowomłot pospolity · rekin młot · ryba młot |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Tubarão Martelo · Tubarão-martelo · cornuda |
| 🌍RON | Rechin ciocan |
| 🇷🇺Russian | обыкновенная акула-молот |
| 🌍SLV | kladvenica |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Cachona · Carnuda · Corna · Cornuda · Cornuda cruz · Cornudilla · Cornuilla · Cornúa · Leunada · Martell · Martillo · Medialuna · Pez martillo · Sarda de cachas · Tailandano · Tollo cruz · cabeza de martillo · cornuda prieta · tiburón martillo cruz |
| 🌍SQI | Peshk çekiç · Peshkkarabiner · peshk karabinier · peshku çekan · peshku çekiç |
| 🌍SRP | Jaram · Mlat |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Hammerhaj · slät hammarhaj · hammarhaj |
| 🌍TUR | Cekiç baligi · cekic kopekbaligi · Çekiç · çekiç balığı · çekiç köpekbalığı |
| 🌍UKR | Акула-молот звичайна · Звичайна акула-молот · риба-молот |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cestracion zygaena | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Sphyrna zyagena | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Spyrna zygaena | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Squalis pictus | Blainville | 1816 | Heterotypic |
| Squalus carolinensis | Blainville | 1816 | Heterotypic |
| Squalus malleus | Valenciennes | 1822 | Synonym |
| Squalus zygaena | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Zygaena malleus | Valenciennes | 1822 | Synonym |
| Zygaena subarcuata | Storer | 1848 | Synonym |
| Zygaena vulgaris | Cloquet | 1830 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 67 records indexed .
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