Scalloped hammerhead
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A scalloped hammerhead’s head also acts as a rudder when it makes tight turns.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Scalloped hammerhead
- Scientific name
- Sphyrna lewini
- Japanese name
- アカシュモクザメ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Sphyrnidae
- Genus
- Sphyrna
Where the name “Scalloped hammerhead” comes from
Its English name comes from the notch and grooves along the front of its head.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebA shark with a head shaped like a hammer, also called a “hammerhead.” It sometimes forms large schools.
Its eyes and nostrils sit at the ends of its wide, flat head. Because they are far apart, it can locate prey more precisely.
Its head has organs that sense the weak electricity given off by living things, which help it find prey hidden in the sand.
How the Scalloped hammerhead lives
At dusk, it returns offshore and searches for food. It accelerates toward prey and swallows it whole or bites it. Young scalloped hammerheads live in large schools.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 4 m
- Diet
- Fish, crustaceans, squid, and other foods
- Range
- Subtropical to temperate waters worldwide
Where the Scalloped hammerhead has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- アカシュモクザメ
- 简体中文
- 路氏双髻鲨
- 繁體中文
- 路易氏雙髻鯊
- 한국어
- 홍살귀상어
- Español
- Tiburón martillo común
- Français
- Requin-marteau halicorne
- Deutsch
- Bogenstirn-Hammerhai
- Português (Brasil)
- Tubarão-martelo-recortado
- Italiano
- Squalo martello smerlato
- العربية
- قرش رأس المطرقة الصدفي
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Hiu martil bergerigi
- Tiếng Việt
- Cá mập búa vỏ sò
- Русский
- Бронзовая молот-рыба
- Türkçe
- Çekiç Balığı
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — アカシュモクザメChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Sphyrna lewiniChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Scalloped hammerhead, look for this
- Look for its gray back and white underside.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Scalloped hammerhead
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Carcharhiniformes
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