1. Habit and habitat: Sphyrna is a common marine shark living in deep waters. It is ferocious and voracious feeder , feeds on small fishes and also attacks on man.
2. Sphyrna is commonly called hammer-headed shark
3. Body is elongated , measuring about 4-5 meters in length and divided into head, trunk and tail. Colour of the body is grayish dorsally and yellowish on ventral side.
4. Head is flattened in front and expanded sideways into two conspicuous lateral lobes, hence , resembling a hammer. Eyes lie at the tips of lateral lobes and provided with 3 eye-lids and nictitating membrane. Mouth is crescentic and ventral, nostrils ventral at the base of lateral lobes and five pairs of lateral gill-slits . spiracles are absent.
5. Trunk bears median as well as paired fins. Median fins are two dorsals, caudal and an anal and paired fins are pectorals and pelvics.
6. Vertebrae are astero spondylus.
7. Viviparous, produces about 40 young.
8. Sphyrna is caught for its oil, although the yield is low.
9. Geographical distribution. Sphyrna is distributed in tropical and sub tropical seas and coastal warm waters of the pacific ocean.
Source:
1. Practical Zoology Vertebrates by S.S.Lal. 2. A Manual of Practical Zoology Chordates by Dr. P.S. Verma.
