What are Hammerhead Sharks?

About Hammerhead Sharks:

• Hammerhead Sharks are characterized by a flattened hammer- or shovel-shaped head.
• These distinctive heads serve multiple purposes, including granting the sharks 360-degree vision as well as better hunting abilities.
• There are nine species of Hammerhead Sharks, each with varying lengths. The great hammerhead shark is the largest of all hammerhead species, reaching a maximum known length of 20 feet.
• They are exothermic animals, meaning that they have no internal way to control their body temperature.
• Distribution:
  • They are widely distributed in tropical and temperate marine waters near the coasts and above the continental shelves. 
  • They may migrate seasonally, moving equatorward during the winter and poleward during the summer.
• Features:
  • The upper sides of these fish are greyish-brown or olive-green, and they have white bellies.
  • They have very impressive triangular, serrated teeth—like the edge of a saw's blade.
  • The hammerhead also has special sensors across its head that helps it scan for food in the ocean. 
  • Unlike many fish, hammerheads do not lay eggs. A female gives birth to live young.

 

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Q1) What are exothermic animals?

The animals whose body temperature regulation depends on the external sources like sunlight or heated rock surfaces are known as exothermic animals and the fishes, reptiles, and invertebrates fall under the category of this type of animals. Crab is an example of this type of animal.

Source: Hammerhead sharks 'hold their breath' when deep diving up to 2,500 feet to avoid freezing to death