Palau – 2010 – 5 Dollars – Marine Life SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD (PROOF)

Description

Face value: 5 Dollars
Metal: Silver .925
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 1’500 pcs.

The hammerhead shark which was first described by Edward Griffith and Charles Hamilton Smith in1834 is not as aesthetical as his elegant relative the reef shark, but definitely not less interesting. Especially its specific head shape provides speculation material.

One assumes that this mammal’s extremely good swimming qualities and its mobility could stem from its head shape. Due to a big distance between its eyes, the hammerheads spatial vision is more distinctive than other shark species. This enables him to watch over his environment completely with a 360-degree vision. By the use of the so-called “ampullae of Lorenzini“ (sensory pores) the hammerhead is able to detect the merest electromagnetic signals and even finds those which living organisms create. Therefore he also discovers marine creatures which are buried in the sand, for example the ray.

This predator, which can reach up to 4 meters in length and 150 kilograms, is mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions. He mainly stays in low waters – up to about 270 meters in depth. He is not found in the open sea. The hammerhead mainly hunts crabs and small bony fishes, but also does not stop when it comes to bigger specimens, for example the barracuda. Squid and crayfish are also on his diet. Hammerhead sharks are not hunted for their meat but rather for their skin and their dorsal fin. If this ocean hunter is spared this fate he is able to reach an age of 30 years. This edition pays its respect to this interesting marine creature.