Nursery areas for a critically endangered hammerhead shark in the Guatemalan Pacific.

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) is the shark most frequently landed in Guatemalan artisanal fisheries. From 2017 to 2023, fishery-dependent monitoring recorded 10,000 individuals across three fishing communities. Neonates represented the largest proportion (n = 5860), followed by young of the year (YOY, n = 3929) and significantly fewer juveniles (n = 183) and adults (n = 28).

Population structure and genetic connectivity of the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) across nursery grounds from the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Implications for management and conservation.

Defining demographically independent units and understanding patterns of gene flow between them is essential for managing and conserving exploited populations. The critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark, Sphyrna lewini, is a coastal semi-oceanic species found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Pregnant females give birth in shallow coastal estuarine habitats that serve as nursery grounds for neonates and small juveniles, whereas adults move offshore and become highly migratory.