Winghead shark

A juvenile Winghead Shark, Eusphyra blochii, caught in King Sound, Western Australia. Source: David Morgan / Freshwater Fish Group & Fish Health Unit, Murdoch University.

​This has to be my favorite species of hammerhead shark- ever. Why? Well, the hammerhead species is already unique due to their… well, hammer-shaped head. But this particular species, the winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii), stands out from its relatives. Why? Well, look at that elongated hammer-like head!

​Found in the Indo-West Pacific, they are seen patrolling coastal waters down to the continental shelf. Like other hammerheads, and many other sharks, they are slow to grow and reach a maximum total length size of 186 cm. According to the IUCN website, they reach a maximum age of 21 (dang, what a way to go out!) and a generation length of 14 years. Females mature later on than males, as females reach maturity at 7.2 years compared to males at 5.5 years. These sharks love estuaries and sandy-muddy bottoms.
 
Due to that funny-shaped head, they are more at risk for entanglement than just your average shark. Their population seems to be decreasing and so the IUCN has assessed them as Endangered (EN). In fact, they are heavily exploited in most of their range, such as Thailand, India, and Indonesia and is suspected to be overfished. 

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

• Artisanal fishery: There is, as yet, no universally-accepted definition; the term is used interchangeably with ‘small scale fishery.’ In general, artisanal fishing will be family-based, employing small or no boats and simple and/or traditional methods.
• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.  
• Commercial fishery: The activity of catching fish and other seafood for profit.​
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​​

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