| Cartilaginous Fishes | Sharks |
Bonnethead Shark
Sphyrna tiburo
| Conservation Status: Safe for Now
- 2
#2
- © A. Reitsma, Aquarium of the Pacific
- the bonnethead's smooth rounded head
Bonnethead sharks are the smallest of the 10 hammerhead shark species. The head shape of these sharks is unique among hammerhead species. Unlike most species that have straight heads with notched edges, those of bonnetheads are smooth and rounded between the eyes. These sharks are highly migratory. Although, they are common, coastal inshore sharks, only one unprovoked attack on a human has been recorded.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
Western Atlantic: from Rhode Island (occasionally) south to the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil and throughout the Caribbean including Cuba and the Bahamas. Eastern Pacific: southern California (rarely above San Diego) to Ecuador
- Amazing Facts
A bonnethead shark excretes a unique cerebrospinal fluid (Cl-excess) that is believed to be used to let other bonnetheads know it is in the area.
- At the Aquarium
The Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon is the habitat for our bonnethead sharks.
