Mod:ARK: The Sunken World/Sphyrna

The Sphyrna (Sphyr-na), or Hammerhead Shark, is a species of shark in ARK: The Sunken World.

Behaviour
The Sphyrna will normally swim passively unless approached, at which point it may begin to attack you. Sphyrna are attracted to corpses, looking for an easy meal.

Appearance
The Sphyrna is a mid-sized shark slightly smaller than a vanilla Megalodon in length, however it is much more streamlined and almost triangular in shape when viewed from the side. It features the iconic hammer shaped head of other hammerhead sharks, but it also is covered in large placoderm-like armor. Its fins have a bioluminescent glow.

Combat
This section outlines how to fight a Sphyrna.

General
The Sphyrna, despite being a shark, is a non-aggressive and generally peaceful member of the Sunken World's seas, though they are still a predatory species, and are drawn to corpses, and will not tolerate a survivor getting into their personal space.

Strategy
The best way to combat a Sphyrna is through hit and run tactics with a fast mount, with rider weaponry if the creature has poor damage output, or to meet it head on with a creature with better damage or a higher health pool. Earlier game, it would be ill advised to fight a Sphyrna if on foot, as they can catch up to a survivor without if one needs to make a quick escape.

Weaponry
Ranged weapons that work underwater are a good choice to avoid getting too close to a Sphyrna, as well as using a large aquatic creature such as a, or even a well leveled. A can aid in immobolising the Sphyrna with its spin manoeuvre.

Dangers
The Sphyrna can use its hammer shaped head to inflict a slightly more powerful stunning attack. While this doesn't dismount you off of a creature, it immobilises you momentarily, which can be dangerous for lower level players. However, this attack has a 30 second cooldown on wild individuals, meaning they aren't too much of a nuisance to deal with in the wild.

Another added danger to fighting a Sphyrna is the potential to attract other, larger, more unsavoury predators if a battle drags on for too long.

Weakeness
While their appearance may be intimidating, a Sphyrna is actually slightly weaker than a, so larger aquatic creatures can make short work of them.

Taming
For general info about domesticating a wild creature see Taming.

Preferred Food
The Sphyrna uses the exact same taming times and food amounts as the, however it prefers fish alternatives to regular meat.

KO Strategy
The Sphyrna can be knocked out in a similar manner to the, simply keep your distance while firing tranquilisers at it. A fast aquatic mount that allows rider weaponry can aid in this process, as a Sphyrna can catch up to a survivor without.

Controls


- This key triggers a basic bite attack with moderate damage.



- This key triggers a head bash, which deals slightly more damage, causes mild stun to enemies, and can be used to harvest and.


 * - This key activates an electric detection pulse, which reveals all living things nearby for 10 seconds (only the mounted survivor can see the pulse and effects). Has a 30 second cooldown. Can only be done when mounted.
 * The Sphyrna recieves 20% less damage from attacks due to its natural armor.

Roles

 * Resource Gatherer: The Sphyrna can gather a substantial amount of stone and coral, and has a 50% weight reduction to both these resources. (Level Damage and Weight)
 * Oceanic Transport: The Sphyrna is a suitable transport for the surface regions of the Sunken World, as it has a two seater saddle, can carry a large amount of resources and is decently fast enough to outswim most threats, while still being able to fight back if cornered. (Level a bit of Health and Stamina, Weight and Speed)
 * Surface Water Brawler: The Sphyrna is a good early to mid game brawling mount, but may struggle against larger adversaries and is better suited to the surface waters. (Level Health and Melee Damage, with a bit of Stamina if needed)
 * Security/Scout: The Sphyrna's ability to send out a pulse that detects potential threats nearby makes it very useful for security purposes or scouting for danger. However, this ability isn't passive like a parasaur, and requires a rider for it to function. (Level Health, Stamina and Speed)

Notes/Trivia
For information pertaining specifically to the real world genus of hammerhead sharks, Sphyrna, see the relevant Wikipedia article.


 * Sphyrna's scientific name, Sphyrna quaesitor, translates to "Seeker hammer".
 * Sphyrna's armor plating is much like that of placoderm fish from the Devonian period, such as.
 * Sphyrna was one of the first custom creatures to be completed and added to ARK: The Sunken World.