''Sphyrna'' (from the Greek word σφῦρα, "hammer") is a genus of

hammerhead sharks The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form 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. Most hammerhe ...

with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. Members of ''Sphyrna'' have a tendency to inhabit coastal waters along the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

rather than the open ocean, as their prey such as invertebrates, fish, rays, small crustaceans, and other benthic organisms hide in the sands and sediment along these zones. Members of ''Sphyrna'' are also known by synonyms such as ''Zygaena'', ''Cestracion'', and ''Sphyrichthys''. The earliest species described of this genus was ''

Sphyrna zygaena The smooth hammerhead (''Sphyrna zygaena'') is a species of hammerhead shark, and part of the family Sphyrnidae. This species is named "smooth hammerhead" because of the distinctive shape of the head, which is flattened and laterally extended i ...

'' by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, ...

in 1758, while the latest described member, '' Sphyrna gilberti'', was discovered and described in 2013.

Species

The recognized species in this genus are:Martin, R. Aidan. (February 24, 1998)
Recent Changes in Hammerhead Taxonomy
''ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research''. Retrieved on October 18, 2008. ;Extant * ''

Sphyrna corona The scalloped bonnethead (''Sphyrna corona'') is a rare, little-known species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. Its other common names include the mallethead shark and the crown shark. It is found in tropical and subtropical waters ...

'' ( S. Springer, 1940) (scalloped bonnethead) * '' Sphyrna gilberti''

Quattro Quattro is Italian for the number four. Quattro may also refer to: People * "Quattro", a nickname of A. J. Foyt IV Fictional characters * Quattro Vageena or Quattro Bageena, an alias of Char Aznable in the ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' anime series ...

, Driggers, Grady,

Ulrich Ulrich (), is a German given name, derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements '' uodal-'' meaning "(noble) heritage" and ''-rich'' meaning "rich, powerful". Attested from the 8th century as the name of ...

& M. A. Roberts, 2013 (Carolina hammerhead)Quattro, J.M., Driggers, W.B. III, Grady, J.M., Ulrich, G.F. & Roberts, M.A. (2013): ''Sphyrna gilberti'' sp. nov., a new hammerhead shark (Carcharhiniformes, Sphyrnidae) from the western Atlantic Ocean. ''Zootaxa, 3702 (2): 159–178.'' * ''

Sphyrna lewini The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into "hammer" in English, referring to the shape of ...

'' ( E. Griffith & C. H. Smith, 1834) (scalloped hammerhead) * ''

Sphyrna media The scoophead (''Sphyrna media'') is a little-known species of hammerhead shark, part of the family Sphyrnidae. It inhabits the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from Panama to southern Brazil, and in the eastern Pacific Ocea ...

'' (S. Springer, 1940) (scoophead) * ''

Sphyrna mokarran The great hammerhead (''Sphyrna mokarran'') or great hammerhead shark is the largest species of hammerhead shark, belonging to the family Sphyrnidae, attaining an average length of and reaching a maximum length of . It is found in tropical and w ...

'' ( Rüppell, 1837) (great hammerhead) * '' Sphyrna tiburo'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoological ...

) (bonnethead) * ''

Sphyrna tudes The smalleye hammerhead (''Sphyrna tudes''), also called the golden hammerhead or curry shark, is a small species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. This species is common in the shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, fr ...

'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

, 1822) (smalleye hammerhead) * ''

'' (

) (smooth hammerhead) ;Extinct * † '' Sphyrna arambourgi'' (Cappetta, 1970) * † ''

Sphyrna gibbesii ''Sphyrna'' (from the Greek word σφῦρα, "hammer") is a genus of hammerhead sharks with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. Members of ''Sphyrna'' have a tendency to inhabit coastal waters along the intertidal zone rather th ...

'' (Hay, 1902) * † ''

Sphyrna integra ''Sphyrna'' (from the Greek word σφῦρα, "hammer") is a genus of hammerhead sharks with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. Members of ''Sphyrna'' have a tendency to inhabit coastal waters along the intertidal zone rather th ...

'' (Probst, 1878) * † ''

Sphyrna laevissima ''Sphyrna'' (from the Greek word σφῦρα, "hammer") is a genus of hammerhead sharks with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. Members of ''Sphyrna'' have a tendency to inhabit coastal waters along the intertidal zone rather th ...

'' (

Cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colours, litu ...

, 1867) * † ''

Sphyrna magna ''Sphyrna'' (from the Greek word σφῦρα, "hammer") is a genus of hammerhead sharks with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. Members of ''Sphyrna'' have a tendency to inhabit coastal waters along the intertidal zone rather th ...

'' (Cope, 1867)

References

External links

* Shark genera Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque {{shark-stub