Smooth Hammerhead Shark

Photographs: La Paz Bay, Baja, Mexico.  

Similar species: The smooth hammerhead shares much of its range with the scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini which has a distinct cleft in the centre of the leading edge of it's hammer. The great hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran has a much straighter leading edge to it's hammer, proportionately taller dorsal fin, and larger terminal size. 

Reaction to divers: Shy. Very difficult to approach. Divers may have better success when using rebreathers.

Diving logistics: The images of the Smooth Hammerhead Shark on Elasmodiver were taken of a juvenile specimen released from a longline in La Paz Bay.

Any locations where Smooth Hammerhead Sharks can be seen or photographed in the wild would be welcome.

Diving locations submitted by readers: 

References and further reading:  

     Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Scott W. Michael. Sea Challengers.

     Sharks and Rays - Elasmobranch Guide of the World. Ralf M. Hennemann. IKAN.

     www.fishbase.org

More common names of the Smooth Hammerhead Shark:

丫髻鲛 China Main Mandarin Chinese

双过仔 China Main Mandarin Chinese

双髻鲨 China Main Mandarin Chinese

牦头沙 China Main Mandarin Chinese

丫髻鮫 Taiwan Mandarin Chinese

बूत India Marathi

귀상어 Korea Rep Korean

कान मुशी India Marathi

કાન મુસી  India Gujarati

कनीर India Marathi

錘頭雙髻鯊 China Main Mandarin Chinese

锤头双髻鲨 China Main Mandarin Chinese

कनीरि India Marathi

ചടയന് India Malayalam

молот-рыба Russian Fed Russian

கொம்பன் சுரா India Tamil

കൊന്വന് സ്റാവ് India Malayalam

കൊന്പന് സുരവ്  India Malayalam

கொம்பன் சுறா   India Tamil

ചട്ടിത്തലയന് സ്റാവ് India Malayalam

Αγριόψαρο Greece Greek

ചാടയന്  India Malayalam

ವರಿಓಛ  India Kannada

કનેર  India Gujarati

Ζύγαινα Greece Greek

Προπέλα Greece Greek

Πατερίτσα Greece Greek

Δεκανίκι Greece Greek

 Abou bornita Egypt Arabic

Abu-garn Oman Arabic

Almindelig hammerhaj Denmark Danish

Awal Philippines Bikol

Balagbagan Philippines Ilokano

Balagbagan Philippines Pangasinan

Bingkungan Philippines Tagalog

Binkugan Philippines Waray-waray

Buntok martilyo Philippines Kapampangan

Cá Nhám búa Viet Nam Vietnamese

Cabeza de martillo Cuba Spanish

Cação-martelo Brazil Portuguese

Cachona Colombia Spanish

Cachona Ecuador Spanish

Cagnole France French

Cambeba Brazil Portuguese

Cambeva Brazil Portuguese

Capa a martiello Italy Italian

Carnuda Spain Spanish

Çekiç Turkey Turkish

Cekiç baligi Turkey Turkish

Çekiç balığı Turkey Turkish

Chadayan India Malayalam

Chapéu-armado Brazil Portuguese

Chattithalayan sravu India Malayalam

Common hammerhead Cuba English

Common smooth hammerhead shark UK English

Corna Spain Spanish

Cornúa Spain Spanish

Cornuda Brazil Portuguese

Cornuda cruz Mexico Spanish

Cornudilla Spain Spanish

Cornudo Brazil Portuguese

Cornuilla Spain Spanish

Diarandoye Mauritania Wolof

Diengué Mauritania Wolof

Gemeiner Hammerfisch Germany German

Gemeiner Hammerhai Germany German

Gladde hamerhaai Netherlands Dutch

Gladde hamerkop South Africa Afrikaans

Glatter Hammerhai Germany German

Hamerhaai Netherlands Dutch

Hamerhai Norway Norwegian

Hammarhaj Sweden Swedish

Hammerhai Germany German

Hammerhaj Denmark Danish

Hammerhaj Sweden Swedish

Iskandar Lebanon Arabic

Jaram SerbiaMontenegro Serbian

Jarjur Oman Arabic

Jarjur al graram Oman Arabic

Jerong tenggiri Malaysia Malay

Kakere New Zealand Maori

Kan moosi India Gujarati

Kan mushi India Marathi

Kaner India Gujarati

Kaneri India Marathi

Kodosan Philippines Visayan

Koma sorrah India Telugu

Komban-sorrah India Tamil

Kombansurav India Malayalam

Korsan Philippines Banton

Krusan Philippines Tagalog

Kurazza Malta Maltese

Kurazza komuni Malta Maltese

Kuros na pating Philippines Bikol

Leunada Spain Spanish

Lou peï judiou France French

Magniusa Italy Italian

Magnosa Italy Italian

Magnose Italy Italian

Magnusa Italy Italian

Mangopare New Zealand Maori

Mano kihikihi Hawaii Hawaiian

Marteau France French

Martell Spain Spanish

Martello Italy Italian

Martelo Brazil Portuguese

Martillo Spain Spanish

Mata'italiga Samoa Samoan

Medialuna Spain Spanish

Meerschlägel Germany German

Mlat SerbiaMontenegro Serbian

Nga-man-than-woot Myanmar Burmese

Pantouflier Trinidad Tob French

Pantouflier lavaco France French

Pata Brazil Portuguese

Paterítsa Greece Greek

Pateritza Greece Greek

Pating Philippines Waray-waray

Patishan Israel Hebrew

Peï jouziou France French

Pei judiu Italy Italian

Peï martel France French

Peïs judieú France French

Peixe martelo Azores Is. Portuguese

Peixe-canga Brazil Portuguese

Peixe-cornudo Cape Verde Portuguese

Peixe-martelo Brazil Portuguese

Peixe-martelo Cape Verde Creole, Portuguese

Pesca martello Italy Italian

Pesce carabiniere Italy Italian

Pesce martello Italy Italian

Pesce martello Malta Italian

Pesce martiello Italy Italian

Pescio scrossua Italy Italian

Peshk çekiç Albania Albanian

Peshkkarabiner Albania Albanian

Pez martillo Colombia Spanish

Pisci carabbineri Italy Italian

Pisci crozza Italy Italian

Pisci marteddu Italy Italian

Pisci matteddu Italy Italian

Pixximartell Malta Maltese

Rechin ciocan Romania Rumanian

Rekin mlot a. glowomlot pospolity Poland Polish

Requin marteau Mauritania French

Requin marteau Mauritius Creole, French

Requin marteau lisse Mauritius French

Requin-marteau commun France French

Ribello Italy Italian

Round headed hammerhead India English

Round-headed hammer head shark India English

Sarda de cachas Colombia Spanish

Sarikan Philippines Kuyunon

Sartji Suriname Sranan

Schlägelfisch Germany German

Scroesna France French

Σφύρνα Greece Greek

Shiro-shumokuzame Japan Japanese

Stampella Italy Italian

Tai tse sha Hong Kong Cantonese

Tailandano Spain Spanish

Tampugan Philippines Bikol

Tiburón martillo Peru Spanish

Tollo cruz Spain Spanish

Tribon di cruz NethAntilles Papiamento

Tubarão martelo liso Mozambique Portuguese

Tubarão-martelo Brazil Portuguese

Tubarão-martelo Cape Verde Portuguese

Tubarão-martelo Portugal Portuguese

Tubarão-martelo Azores Is. Portuguese

Variocha India Kannada

Vasarahai Finland Finnish

Yu bengkong Malaysia Malay

Yu mata jauh Malaysia Malay

Yu palang Malaysia Malay

Yu parang Malaysia Malay

Yu sanggul Malaysia Malay

Yu tukul Malaysia Malay

Zygaena Cyprus Greek