Hammerhead shark

The hammerhead shark has a head like a wide hammer, with its eyes right at the ends. That lets it see almost all around and find prey hiding in the sand. Its snout can even sense the faint electric fields of living animals.

For scientists

The wide head (cephalofoil) spreads the electrical sense organs (ampullae of Lorenzini) over a larger area, so the hammerhead can detect rays buried in the sand. Its widely set eyes give it nearly complete all-around vision. Some species gather in large schools by day, a social behavior that is rare among sharks.

Discover more