Meet the Aquarium’s New Hammerhead Shark
Credit: Chris Corpus
August 29, 2018
A juvenile female scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) is now on display at the Aquarium of the Pacific at the Molina Animal Care Center. This is the first time the Aquarium is home to a scalloped hammerhead shark.
The scalloped hammerhead juvenile currently measures about 3 feet in length but can grow to about 10 to 14 feet long when fully mature. Eventually, this shark will make her home in the Aquarium’s large shark pool in Shark Lagoon.
The scalloped hammerhead was the first shark species to be added to the U.S. Endangered Species List in 2014. They are typically found in temperate and tropical waters and are flexible and agile, making them excellent predators of fish and invertebrates. They grow rapidly when they are young and can reach a weight of 340 pounds. This species’ hammer-like head shape increases the surface area for the shark’s sensory systems, such as vision and electroreceptors, and also provides lift as the shark swims through the water.
