# Smooth hammerhead (*Sphyrna zygaena*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-hammerhead  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, belonging to the family Sphyrnidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. It was named by (Linnaeus, 1758) and is classified in the class Elasmobranchii and the genus Sphyrna. On the IUCN Red List, the smooth hammerhead is assessed globally as Vulnerable (VU), which is a threatened category. Other English names for it include Hammerhead, Shovelhead shark, Hammerhead shark, Common hammerhead and Hammerheaded shark.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 2.86 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | 23.4 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Elasmobranchii
- order: Carcharhiniformes
- family: Sphyrnidae
- genus: Sphyrna
- species: *Sphyrna zygaena* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Sphyrna malleus*, *Sphyrna zigaena*, *Sphyrna zyagena*, *Spyrna zygaena*, *Squalis pictus*, *Squalus carolinensis*, *Squalus malleus*, *Squalus zygaena*, *Zygaena malleus*, *Zygaena subarcuata*, *Zygaena vulgaris*, *Zygoena malleus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the smooth hammerhead?

The smooth hammerhead is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Sphyrnidae and the order Carcharhiniformes.

### What is the scientific name of the smooth hammerhead?

Its scientific name is Sphyrna zygaena, placing it in the genus Sphyrna.

### Who named the smooth hammerhead and when?

The species name Sphyrna zygaena is credited to (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the smooth hammerhead endangered?

The smooth hammerhead is assessed globally as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, which is a threatened category.

### What other names does the smooth hammerhead have?

Other English names are Hammerhead, Shovelhead shark, Hammerhead shark, Common hammerhead and Hammerheaded shark.

### What class does the smooth hammerhead belong to?

The smooth hammerhead belongs to the class Elasmobranchii, within the phylum Chordata and the kingdom Animalia.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-hammerhead