Bonnethead Shark
Bonnethead Shark
Sphyrna tiburo
Quick Facts
Bonnethead shark (Sphyra tiburo) on board the NOAA Ship Oregon II as part of the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. Credit: NOAA Teacher at Sea Program/Bruce Taterka
Bonnethead shark (Sphyra tiburo) on board the NOAA Ship Oregon II as part of the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. Credit: NOAA Teacher at Sea Program/Bruce Taterka
About the Species
Bonnethead sharks are the smallest members of the hammerhead shark family, Sphyrnidae. Recognizable by their distinct shovel-shaped head, bonnethead sharks are found in warm, shallow coastal waters.
NOAA Fisheries manages bonnethead sharks as part of the small coastal shark complex, which also includes Atlantic sharpnose, Atlantic blacknose, and finetooth sharks.
Population
The Atlantic and Gulf of America* (formerly Gulf of Mexico) stocks have not been assessed. Although these population levels are unknown, management measures are in place.
Fishing Rate
Overfishing status is unknown, but catch is at recommended level.
Habitat Impact
Fishing gears used to harvest bonnethead sharks have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
There are two bonnethead shark stocks: an Atlantic stock and a Gulf of America stock. A stock assessment for one overarching bonnethead shark stock was attempted in 2013 (SEDAR 34). However, because it was determined there were actually two stocks, the results of that assessment could not be used to support stock status. As a result, the population statuses of each stock are unknown. The fishing rate for each stock has been kept at the recommended level.
Appearance
Bonnethead sharks have gray, tan, or greenish upper bodies and paler bellies. Their backs and sides are often scattered with small dark spots. Their eyes are located on the rounded lobes of their shovel-shaped head, increasing their field of vision.
Biology
Female bonnethead sharks are typically larger than males. The species can reach an average of 3 to 4 feet, with a maximum length of about 5 feet. The heaviest recorded weight for a bonnethead shark is 24 pounds.
Bonnethead sharks are the only shark species that have a different head shape depending on their sex. Adult females have an evenly rounded head, while adult males have a distinct bulge in the center of their heads. This difference appears when males reach sexual maturity.
Female bonnethead sharks give birth to 4 to 14 live pups in late summer or early fall after a roughly 5-month gestation period. Pups measure around 12 inches at birth.
Bonnethead sharks are omnivores. In addition to fish, crabs, snails, and shrimp, they graze on seagrass.
Where They Live
Range
In the Atlantic Ocean, bonnethead sharks are primarily found off the coast of North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of America and Caribbean Sea. Although it’s rare, they have been seen as far north as Rhode Island.
In the Pacific Ocean, the species’ range spans from southern California to Ecuador. They are rarely seen north of San Diego.
Habitat
Bonnethead sharks live in shallow coastal waters over sandy or muddy bottoms, coral reefs, and grass flats. They are common in bays and estuaries.
Fishery Management
NOAA Fisheries manages sharks in federal waters under the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan. Commercial, recreational, and for-hire fishermen must comply with permit requirements, trip limits, gear restrictions, finning prohibitions, closed areas, and reporting requirements to land bonnethead sharks.
Bonnethead sharks can only be sold to federally permitted shark dealers. Shark dealers are required to attend Atlantic shark identification workshops to help them better identify shark species.
Harvest
In 2022, commercial landings of bonnethead sharks totaled just over 2,800 pounds.
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.
Scientific Classification
In the Atlantic Ocean, bonnethead sharks are primarily found off the coast of North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of America and Caribbean Sea. Although it’s rare, they have been seen as far north as Rhode Island.
In the Pacific Ocean, the species’ range spans from southern California to Ecuador. They are rarely seen north of San Diego.
Bonnethead sharks live in shallow coastal waters over sandy or muddy bottoms, coral reefs, and grass flats. They are common in bays and estuaries.
Fishery Management
NOAA Fisheries manages sharks in federal waters under the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan. Commercial, recreational, and for-hire fishermen must comply with permit requirements, trip limits, gear restrictions, finning prohibitions, closed areas, and reporting requirements to land bonnethead sharks.
Bonnethead sharks can only be sold to federally permitted shark dealers. Shark dealers are required to attend Atlantic shark identification workshops to help them better identify shark species.
Harvest
In 2022, commercial landings of bonnethead sharks totaled just over 2,800 pounds.
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Chondrichthyes | Order | Carcharhiniformes | Family | Sphyrnidae | Genus | Sphyrna | Species | tiburo |
|---|
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Seafood Facts
Is Bonnethead Shark Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught bonnethead shark is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round.
Source
U.S. wild-caught from North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), and Caribbean Sea.
Taste
Sweet, meaty taste.
Texture
Thick, large flakes and moist flesh.
Color
Raw meat is white to tan with a pink blood line
Health Benefits
Shark is a low-fat source of protein and is high in selenium and vitamins B6 and B12.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 130; Protein: 20.98 g; Total Fat: 4.51 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.925 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 51 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 79 mgSeafood News
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Science Overview
NOAA Fisheries conducts shark research from New England and the Mid-Atlantic to the South Atlantic and Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico), studying shark life history and performing long-term monitoring activities essential for stock assessment and management.
Tagging and Tracking Bonnethead Sharks
NOAA Fisheries runs the Cooperative Shark Tagging Program to study the life history of Atlantic sharks. Started in 1962, the program involves thousands of recreational and commercial fishermen, scientists, and fisheries observers. Participants tag large coastal and pelagic sharks and record information about the shark, such as the date and location where it was caught, the gear used, and the size and sex of the shark.
Shark Pupping and Nursery Surveys
We manage several surveys along the East Coast and in the Gulf of America focused on shark nursery habitats in estuaries and nearshore water. The goals of these programs are to identify shark nursery habitat and determine and monitor species composition, habitat use, abundance, and distribution of sharks while they are present in these critical habitats.
The Cooperative Atlantic States Shark Pupping and Nursery Surveys are five annual surveys conducted from Delaware to Florida by federal agencies, state agencies and universities. The COASTSPAN program is overseen by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
More information about the COASTSPAN program
The Southeast Fisheries Science Center also oversees a pupping and nursery survey known as GULFSPAN. The project is made up of four annual surveys conducted from Florida to Mississippi.
