Ask a Shark Expert
Read shark researcher Mark Marks' responses on the following shark topics:
Disappearing sharks
Shark evolution
Shark deterrent?
Nonstop swimmers?
Shark posturing
Swimming with the sharks?
Shark diving
Shark education
Shark enemies
Shark reproduction
Great white disposition
Favorite shark
Shark eyes
Shark companions
Bite pressure
Bladderless sharks
Warmblooded killers
Hammerheads
Thresher sharks
Great whites in captivity
Shark protection
Q: On HammerheadsDo hammerhead sharks have their heads shaped like a hammer for mating, or something else? Just curious.
Olivia Torres
A: No one is 100 percent certain why members of the
Sphyrnidae family, of which there are 11 species, have a hammer-like shape. The unique flattened and laterally expanded hammer-shaped head may serve as a bow plane to increase their maneuvering capabilities while swimming. From a sensory point of view, the wide hammer shape may increase their sensory abilities for detecting pressure and electromagnetic potentials, much like the plate of a metal detector. The more wide-spaced eyes, which are located at each end, may enhance binocular vision forward. What is certain, is that the body plan is a successful one, as demonstrated by the diversity of the various hammer-shaped designs.
