Overview
The Bonnethead differs from all other hammerheads in having a shovel or bonnet (not hammer) shaped head. Pups are born in late summer and early fall with eight to twelve pups in each litter.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Squaliformes
- Family
- Sphyrnidae
- Genus
- Sphyrna
- Species
- tiburo
Habitat
It occurs chiefly in shallow water, often in bays, estuaries and channels.
Diet
It feeds largely on crabs, shrimps and small fish.
Behavior
Bonnethead sharks are social and often form schools, particularly in shallow waters where they forage together. They are primarily diurnal, actively hunting during the day and resting at night. They exhibit agile swimming behaviors, using their unique cephalofoil to enhance maneuverability and detect prey through electroreception.
Fishing
Bonnetheads can be taken on flies and are hard to beat as light tackle sportfish
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.