Hiu martil vs Great Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini compared with Sphyrna mokarran

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Hiu martil	Great Hammerhead
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order same	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)	Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Family same	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)	Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks)
Genus same	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)	Sphyrna (Hammerhead Sharks)
Species	Sphyrna lewini	Sphyrna mokarran

Evolutionary Relationship

Hiu martil and Great Hammerhead share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Sphyrna. (Hammerhead Sharks)

Conservation Status

Hiu martil

CR — Critically Endangered

Great Hammerhead

CR — Critically Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Hiu martil

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 9 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 Chile, Colombia, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

Hiu martil

The Bronze Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini) is a species in the genus Sphyrna. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan

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