Antrocaryon vs Great Hammerhead

Antrocaryon micraster compared with Sphyrna mokarran

Key Differences

Antrocaryon is Vulnerable while Great Hammerhead is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Antrocaryon	Great Hammerhead
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Sapindales (Sapindales)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Anacardiaceae	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)
Genus	Antrocaryon	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)
Species	Antrocaryon micraster	Sphyrna mokarran

Conservation Status

Antrocaryon

VU — Vulnerable

Great Hammerhead

CR — Critically Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Antrocaryon	Great Hammerhead
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Antrocaryon

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Guinea. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Great Hammerhead

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Antrocaryon

The Antrocaryon (Antrocaryon micraster) is a species in the genus Antrocaryon. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and mangrove forests and coastal wetlands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populatio.

Great Hammerhead

The largest hammerhead shark species, great hammerheads reach up to 6 meters and are found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters worldwide. Their distinctive T-shaped head (cephalofoil) dramatically increases sensory surface area for electroreception, enabling them to detect buried stingrays through sand with exceptional precision — stingrays are a preferred prey. Critically Endangered, with populations declining dramatically due to highly valued fins and bycatch mortality.