Hobbies And Interests
Significance to Humans
Hammerhead sharks are popular fishing targets. Their fins are valued within the fishing industry and by individual fisherman; however, they are rarely a menu item. Their livers are used to make the dietary supplement fish oil and their hides are tanned to make leather goods. Processors grind the rest of the sharks̵7; bodies for use as bait. No industry exists that specifically targets hammerhead sharks but these fish are often caught in non-discriminatory fishing practices, such as with trawls, bottom nets, hook and line fishing and by longlines.
Data
Hammerheads live in habitats ranging from coastal to offshore waters that can measure 300 meters deep. They are also found in shallow lagoons and sometimes reside over continental shelves. The great hammerhead migrates annually, moving to cooler water in the summer. Hammerheads consume a variety of prey, including smaller sharks, fish and marine invertebrates. They even eat their own young. Adult great hammerheads have no marine predators.
Danger to Humans in Variety of Prey
The International Shark Attack File reports 21 incidents in which hammerheads attacked humans unprovoked. Two of these attacks resulted in fatalities. Experts recommend that humans avoid swimming in areas inhabited by hammerheads and that they do not disturb the natural activities of these sharks. While great hammerheads have attacked fewer humans than other shark breeds such as the great white, they are still a threat due to the variety of food that they prey upon, causing them to easily confuse humans with regular components of their diet.
Dangerous Size
The great hammerhead shark primarily poses a threat to humans because of its large size. The adults of this species average over 500 pounds. The largest great hammerhead ever caught weighed 991 pounds. The longest great hammerhead ever caught measured 20 feet, while sharks living off the coasts of Australia measure an average of 7.4 feet and weigh around 113 pounds. Because of their large size, hammerheads can be very dangerous to humans if they attack.
Human Threat to Hammerheads
While hammerheads can kill humans, humans pose a danger to these sharks as well. Biologists consider hammerheads highly at risk for over fishing within the U.S. Damage to hammerhead populations occurs when these fish are accidentally caught during commercial fishing ventures that target other species. The great hammerhead, which is larger than its smaller coastal counterpart the bonnethead, is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union.