Description: fifth gill slit
shorter than 4 preceeding ones and located posterior to pectoral fin base;
flattened head extending to hammer-like lobes on each side; distinct
indentation of the front margin of the head at its midpoint; second dorsal
fin longer than tail; gray-brown to olive in color with white underbelly;
teeth smooth-edged; pectoral fins tipped with black on the undersurface;
tips of first and second dorsal lobes and caudal also may have dusky tips;
pelvic fin with nearly straight hind margin.
Similar Fish: other
hammerhead sharks.
Where found: both
OFFSHORE and INSHORE.
Size: common to 6 feet
and can reach 14 feet.
*Florida Record: n/a
Remarks: predatory fish,
feeding mainly on fish, squid, and stingrays; male matures at about 6 feet
in length.
* The Florida records
quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's
printed publication, Fishing
Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are
provided as only as a benchmark.
