About Hammerhead Sharks and risk of extinction
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark/
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark/
Hammerhead sharks are consummate predators that use their oddly shaped heads to improve their ability to find prey. Their wide-set eyes give them a better visual range than most other sharks. And by spreading their highly specialized sensory organs over their wide, mallet-shaped head, they can more thoroughly scan the ocean for food. .The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae , so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil".The known species range from 0.9 to 6 m (3.0 to 20 ft) long and weigh from 3 to 580 kg (6.6 to 1,280 lb). They are usually light gray and have a greenish tint to them.Hammerheads have disproportionately small mouths and seem to do a lot of bottom-hunting.Reproduction only occurs once a year for hammerhead sharks and usually occurs with the male shark biting the female shark violently until she agrees to mate with him.Hammerhead sharks are known to eat a large range of items including fish, squid, octopus, crustaceans, and other sharks.The hammerhead shark uses its head to pin down stingrays and eats the ray when the ray is weak and in shock. The Great Hammerhead , tending to be larger and more aggressive than most hammerheads, occasionally engages in cannibalism , being known to eat other hammerhead sharks, including their own young. Of the nine known species of hammerhead, three can be dangerous to humans: the scalloped, great, and smooth hammerheads.The great and the scalloped hammerhead are listed on the World Conservation Union's ( IUCN ) 2008 Red List as endangered , whereas the small eye hammerhead is listed as vulnerable .The status given to these sharks is as a result of over-fishing and demand for their fins, an expensive delicacy.Shark fins are prized as a delicacy, and over fishing is putting many hammerhead sharks at risk of extinction.Fishermen who harvest the animals typically cut off the fins and toss the remainder of the fish, which is often still alive, back into the sea.In Native Hawaiian culture, sharks are considered to be gods of the sea, also known as aumakua , protectors of humans, and cleaners of excessive ocean life.Some of these sharks are believed to be family members who died and have been reincarnated into shark form.However, there are sharks that are considered man-eaters, also known as niuhi. These sharks include great white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. The hammerhead shark, also known as mano kihikihi, is not considered a man-eater or niuhi; it is considered to be one of the most respected sharks of the ocean, an aumakua. Many Hawaiian families believe that they have an aumakua watching over them and protecting them from the niuhi. The hammerhead shark is thought to be the birth animal of some children. Hawaiian children who are born with the hammerhead shark as an animal sign are believed to be warriors and are meant to sail the oceans. It is extremely rare for hammerhead sharks to pass through the waters of Maui, but many Maui natives believe that when the hammerhead sharks pass by, it is a sign that the gods are watching over the families, and the oceans are clean and balanced.
The reason I chose hammerhead shark for my essay because I love sharks, and I want to learn about sharks, I want to protect them from extinction. And why the hammerhead sharks have people who worship them.
The reason I chose hammerhead shark for my essay because I love sharks, and I want to learn about sharks, I want to protect them from extinction. And why the hammerhead sharks have people who worship them.