| Photo |
Crested bullhead shark
No image of Crested bullhead shark found in the Shark Database
| |
|
| Range Map |
|
|
| Systematics |
Phylum: Vertebates (Chordata)
Class: Carlilagenous Fishes (Chondrichthyes)
Order: Bullhead sharks (Heterodontiformes)
Family: Bullhead sharks (Heterodontidae)
Genus: Heterodontus (Heterodontus)
|
|
|
| Name |
| Scientific: | Heterodontus galatus |
| German: | Kamm-Stierkopfhai |
| English: | Crested bullhead shark |
| French: | Requin dormeur a crete |
| Spanish: | Dormilon carenado |
|
|
| Appearance |
Cylindrical trunk with conical head. Small spiracles behind and below the eyes. Very short snout, bluntly rounded. Very high supraorbital ridges. Both dorsal fins with a stout fin spine. Origin of first dorsal fin behind midbase of pectoral fins. Origin of second dorsal fin mid of the pelvic fins" free rear ends. Large pectoral fins. Anal fin present.
|
|
| Coloration |
Dark (blackish) broad bands on head, back and tail. Brownish (light) basic collar.
|
|
| Distribution |
Western South Pacific: Australia (Queensland, New South Wales).
|
|
| Biology |
A common bottom oriented shark over the continental shelf, from close inshore down to about 90 m.
|
|
| Feeding |
Feeds primarily on sea urchins, and crustaceans, molluscs and small fishes.
|
|
| Size |
Maximum length about 150 cm, average size between 100 and 120 cm.
|
|
| Reproduction |
Oviparous (egg laying). Egg cases are simply built, with narrow, paired spiral flanges, which are diagonal to egg axis (6 to 7 turns visible on sides). Long and slender tendrils on egg apex. Free laying eggs need about 5 months to hatch. Size at birth about 17 cm. Females reach maturity after about 11 to 12 years.
|
|
| Similar Species |
Other bullhead sharks have a similar appearance but the very high supraorbital ridge is very distinctive.
|
|
| Endangerment |
Status in the IUCN
Red List:
|
No Entry found in Red List.
|
|
|
| Danger to Humans |
Harmless.
|
|
