Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

Photo: Kris Mikael Krister · CC BY

Scalloped hammerheads are pelagic apex predators whose distinctive cephalofoil head contains an expanded array of electroreceptive ampullae of Lorenzini that allows them to detect the electrical fields of stingrays buried beneath sand. They are known for schooling behaviour, forming aggregations of hundreds of individuals at seamounts and channel corners, possibly for social interaction or thermoregulation. The species is critically endangered due to fin trade pressure and slow reproductive rates.