Species Profile No. 31: The Winghead Shark (Eusphyra blochii) The winghead shark has the most impressive cephalofoil of all the hammerheads! This shark is different enough from other hammerheads to be sorted into its own genus, Eusphyra, rather than being in the Sphyrna genus with the rest of its relatives. The width of the head is equal to around half of the shark’s body length! This means that all of the benefits of a wide head, from vision to electroreception, are magnified in the winghead. They also have elongated nostrils, which improves their sense of smell. The winghead is listed as Endangered by the IUCN. Females give birth to 6-25 after a gestation period of 8-11 months. They have one litter per year. Winghead sharks are overfished through much of their range, being targeted for meat, fins, and oil. They are also likely caught as bycatch as well. Their population is known to be decreasing. There is currently no species-specific protection for these sharks. To help endangered species like the winghead, please support Shark Advocates International and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. ••••••••••••••••••••••••• #hammerheadprofiles #shark #sharks #hammerhead #hammerheadshark #winghead #wingheadshark #diversesharks #sharkeducation #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #bycatch #overfishing #stopoverfishing #replacefearwithfacts #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5MJCHB6Bw/?igshid=wfj36qkg4qrf
