Scalloped hammerhead: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the scalloped hammerhead lives – recorded in 30 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Sphyrna lewini
Group	Sharks
Status	Critically endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	30 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America
Class	Cartilaginous fish
Order	Carcharhiniformes
Family	Sphyrnidae

Where does the scalloped hammerhead live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the scalloped hammerhead in 30 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Brazil, Aurora do Pará, New Guinea.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the scalloped hammerhead endangered?

The scalloped hammerhead’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Critically endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the scalloped hammerhead?

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a cartilaginous fish in the order Carcharhiniformes and the family Sphyrnidae, genus Sphyrna. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the scalloped hammerhead

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as Zygaena lewini. The Greek word sphyrna translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of this shark's head, which is its most distinguishing characteristic. The shark's eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the extensions. It is a fairly large hammerhead, but is still smaller than both the great and smooth hammerheads.

This shark is also known as the bronze, kinky-headed, or southern hammerhead. It primarily lives in warm, temperate, and tropical coastal waters all around the globe between latitudes 46°N and 36°S, down to a depth of 500 m (1,600 ft). It is the most common of all hammerheads.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Scalloped hammerhead (revision 1370413460), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q873701 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).