Young smalleye hammerhead sharks which are under the length of 67 cm (26 inches) feed mostly on penaeid shrimp, while larger ones feed mainly on bony fish, especially ariid sea catfish and their eggs. The shrimp and the surface mucus layer and eggs of the catfish contain carotenoid pigments which seem to cause the golden colour of the shark. Another shark which lives in the same area as the smalleye hammerhead shark, the Yellow smooth-hound ("Mustelus higmani"), also feeds on shrimp and has a yellowish colour on it, but it is not as bright as the colour on the smalleye hammerhead shark. The smalleye hammerhead shark is also known to eat swimming crabs, squid, and newborn scalloped hammerhead sharks.