Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)
Illustration: R. Aiden Martin
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Bullhead sharks are relatively inelegant for a shark, living clumsily on rocky reefs. They attract very un-shark-like descriptions: cute, clumsy, charming, comical. These adjectives derive not only from the appearance of Bullhead Sharks, which is chubby with features that are part pig and part bull, but also their movement. They wiggle as they swim and are generally inelegant.
Bullhead sharks get their name from their large heads with a heavy brow over their eyes. They have stubby snouts and short mouths. There is a groove running from their nostrils to their mouths. They live around rocky reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, eating crustaceans, sea urchins and mollusks.
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Port Jacskon shark. Photo: Doug Perrine.
Click to enlarge
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Characteristics of Bullhead Sharks, Order Heterodontiformes
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# of Species
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9
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Body shape
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Rounded, bulky body; grows to 2 to 5.6 feet.
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Mouth position
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Small mouth underneath; pig-like snout; molar-like rear teeth
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Anal fin
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Yes
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Dorsal Fin
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2
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Fin spines
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Exaggerated spines on both dorsals
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# of Gill slits
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5
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Reproduction
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Oviparous, laying augur-shaped eggs. These eggs get wedged into crevices, providing some protection.
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Unique qualities
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Pronounced brow; enlarged scales; only order to have both dorsal fin spines and an anal fin.
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Habitat
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Marine; shallow coastal waters (usually under 300 feet, but can be as deep as 900 feet) in warm temperate and tropical oceans: western and eastern Pacific and western Indian oceans; bottom-dwelling
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Food
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Small fish, crustaceans, and molluscs
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The 9 Species of Bullhead Sharks
Red indicates inclusion on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
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Family Heterodontidae - Bullhead Sharks
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Genus Heterodontus
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Species
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Common name
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Heterodontus francisci
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Horn Shark
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Heterodontus galeatus
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Crested Bullhead Shark
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Heterodontus japonicus
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Japansese Horn Shark
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Heterodontus mexicanus
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Mexican Hornshark
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Heterodontus omanensis
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Oman Bullhead Shark
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Heterodontus portusjacksoni
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Port Jackson Shark
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Heterodontus quoyi
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Galapagos Bullhead Shark
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Heterodontus ramalheira
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Whitespotted Bullhead Shark
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Heterodontus zebra
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Zebra Bullhead Shark
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