Bonnethead Shark
Scientific Name: Sphyrna tiburo
Category: fish
Brief Description
A small species of hammerhead shark featuring a distinct shovel-shaped or spade-shaped head, known as a cephalofoil.
Characteristics
Characterized by its smooth, broadly rounded shovel-shaped head without a central indentation. It has a greyish-brown to olive back and a white or yellowish belly. Typically grows to lengths of 2 to 3 feet.
Habitat
Inshore marine waters, shallow coastal bays, estuaries, mudflats, and coral reef edges over sandy or muddy bottoms.
When to Find It
Often migratory, moving to warmer tropical and subtropical waters during cooler winter months and inshore during summer.
Conservation Status
Endangered
Ecological Role
Acts as an apex or mid-level predator in coastal ecosystems, helping maintain the balance of marine populations including crustaceans and small fish.
Easily Confused With
Other hammerhead sharks such as the Scalloped Hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), which features an obvious central notch on the front margin of the cephalofoil.
Observation Tips
Can be observed while snorkeling, diving, or visiting public aquariums. In the wild, they are generally shy and retreat from divers.
Interesting Facts
Uniquely among sharks, bonnetheads are known to consume seagrass, making them one of the very few omnivorous shark species documented.