{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "hammerhead-shark",
  "name": "Hammerhead Shark",
  "scientificName": "Sphyrnidae",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "Hammerhead sharks are a family of coastal and open-ocean sharks (Sphyrnidae) instantly recognised by the flattened, hammer-shaped head, or cephalofoil, that spreads their eyes and sensory organs wide apart. Species range from under a metre to more than 6 m long, with large individuals weighing around 230 kg. They swim through warm seas worldwide, hunting fish, squid and rays, and can live 20 to 30 years or more. The great hammerhead is listed as Critically Endangered.",
  "conservationStatus": "Critically Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Chondrichthyes",
    "order": "Carcharhiniformes",
    "family": "Sphyrnidae",
    "genus": "Sphyrna"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 230,
    "lengthM": 4,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 30
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Sphyrnidae (family)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Warm coastal and open oceans worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "20–30 years or more"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "0.9 m to over 6 m by species"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Around 40 km/h (25 mph) in bursts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Critically Endangered (great hammerhead)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Warm coastal and open waters worldwide, in temperate and tropical seas of all major oceans.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Rigby, C. L. et al. (2019). Sphyrna mokarran. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Compagno, L. J. V. (2001). Sharks of the World. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds.). FishBase — Sphyrna.",
      "url": "https://www.fishbase.se/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hammerhead-shark/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hammerhead-shark/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}