|
|
From the many species of sharks roaming the seas, the hammerhead shark is the one which stands out and is easy to identify. The distinguishing factor of the hammerhead shark is a projection on each side of its head that gives it a resemblance to a flattened hammer, and thus the name. This species of shark can be easily spotted in almost all the tropical and warmer temperate waters of the world. The scalloped, the smooth, and the great hammerhead sharks are three of the eight different species that live in Hawaii's waters. Hammerheads have tricked the researchers with their unique body shape and unusual instructional behavior. There were many theories as to why the heads are shaped as they are. One of the theories states that the enlarged head allows it to have increased sensory abilities, however none of them have been proved to be accurate. Electro-receptive organs facilitate hammerhead sharks to judge weak electrical fields given off by would-be prey. With this important sensory ability they also detect magnetic fields underwater, both from the North and South Poles. And also those produced by volcanic activity, producing a kind of highway' routes on the ocean bed. The actual shape of the head may help in buoyancy of hammerheads, providing lift or possibly a smaller turning radius. The hammer-shaped head may also assist the animal trap and hold its prey against the ocean floor. |
|
||||
|
|