A scalloped hammerhead shark made its public debut on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The female shark, 6-months old and sized at three feet, arrived from Australia’s Great Barrier Marine Park a few months ago and is currently being held at the aquarium’s 40-foot holding at the Molina Animal Care Center.
The unnamed shark, will grow to be about 12-feet long and will transition to the aquarium’s Shark Lagoon exhibit within the next few months, according to Danny Muñoz, assistant curator at the aquarium. Muñoz said the scalloped hammerhead can weigh more than 300 pounds, although “she’s got a ways to go” before she gets to her peak weight.
“Between all the different species of hammerhead, there’s about nine different species, this is the scalloped, as I mentioned,” Muñoz told the Signal Tribune. “So, the best way to identify between species is the shape of the hammer on their head. That head, it’s real unique. It’s a really cool adaptation, and it serves a couple of functions. The hammerheads are notorious for hunting in the sand, so they’ll kind of use that head and sift through the sand looking for stingrays, any small fish that might be buried or living at the bottom.”
However, this particular female hammerhead had no need to hunt for food that Wednesday, as Rachel Munson, aquarist with the facility, gave the shark her morning snack, as she tossed in servings of small fish, squid and shrimp.
Muñoz said the shark has five feedings per day. Although food is usually weighed and portioned out for the sharks, the aquarium caretakers are providing the hammerhead as much food as it needs for each of its feeding sessions. He noted that the scalloped-hammerhead species has a small mouth and tiny pieces are necessary.
In the next few months, experts will work with the hammerhead to train her how to eat from tongs and properly monitor her food intake. Eventually, she will transition into the Shark Lagoon with the established sharks at the exhibit when she is older.
For more information, visit aquariumofpacific.org.
