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Scalloped hammerhead

The hammer shape of the head, known as a cephalofoil, is thought to have many useful functions. They increase the shark’s field of vision, and provide a greater surface area for electroreceptors, heightening their ‘sixth sense’. Photo © Pelayo Salinas.
Scalloped hammerheads have been observed using their cephalofoils to pin down stingrays on the seabed! Photo © Pelayo Salinas.
The lateral tip of the cephalofoil, or the ‘eye-bulb’, has been shown to function in much the same way as a winglet on an aeroplane and improves hydrodynamics, reducing drag and allowing the shark to turn faster. Photo © Pelayo Salinas.

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