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Great Hammerhead

Sphyrna mokarran

Fish · family Sphyrnidae · order Carcharhiniformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G3: vulnerable[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G3 Vulnerable[2]
Native in
6 states[3]

The Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) is a fish in the family Sphyrnidae[4]. NatureServe ranks it G3 (Vulnerable) worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Great Hammerhead a global rank of G3, which it labels Vulnerable[2]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Critically endangered[5]. USFWS data checked on 2026-10-30 show it is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G3 (Vulnerable)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[5] Critically endangered

Where Great Hammerhead lives

NatureServe lists the Great Hammerhead as native in 6 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas[3]. GBIF has the most observation records from Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina[6]. Those counts follow where people look and report, not how many animals live there[6].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: native, state rank SNRDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S2SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: native, state rank S2MSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S2TXFlorida: native, state rank S2FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[7].
Show state ranks (6 states)
StateRankMeaning
DelawareSNRNot Ranked
FloridaS2Imperiled
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
MississippiS2Imperiled
South CarolinaS2Imperiled
TexasS2Imperiled

When to look for it

GBIF observation records of the Great Hammerhead in the United States peak in April, July and August[8]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[8].

January: 22 recordsJanFebruary: 23 recordsFebMarch: 18 recordsMarApril: 50 recordsAprMay: 36 recordsMayJune: 23 recordsJunJuly: 66 recordsJulAugust: 51 recordsAugSeptember: 21 recordsSepOctober: 17 recordsOctNovember: 33 recordsNovDecember: 9 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[8].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January22
February23
March18
April50
May36
June23
July66
August51
September21
October17
November33
December9

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina[6]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Great Hammerhead endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G3 (Vulnerable) globally, and the IUCN category it records is Critically endangered[2][5].
Where does the Great Hammerhead live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas[3].
When is the Great Hammerhead reported most often?
GBIF records in the United States peak in April, July and August, which reflects when people report sightings[8].

Facts and sources

  1. Great Hammerhead is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Great Hammerhead: G3 (Vulnerable). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Great Hammerhead as native in 6 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Great Hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) is a fish in the family Sphyrnidae, order Carcharhiniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Critically endangered. NatureServe Explorer
  6. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Great Hammerhead: Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  7. NatureServe state ranks for Great Hammerhead (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  8. GBIF observation records of Great Hammerhead in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.