Bishop ray vs Great Hammerhead

Aetobatus narinari compared with Sphyrna mokarran

Key Differences

• Bishop ray is Near Threatened while Great Hammerhead is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bishop ray	Great Hammerhead
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Elasmobranchii	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family	Myliobatidae	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)
Genus	Aetobatus	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)
Species	Aetobatus narinari	Sphyrna mokarran

Evolutionary Relationship

Bishop ray and Great Hammerhead share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Bishop ray

NT — Near Threatened

Great Hammerhead

CR — Critically Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bishop ray

Habitat

Native to Asia and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Bishop ray

The Bishop ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a species in the genus Aetobatus. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇻🇪 Venezuela