| Photo |
Zebra bullhead shark
© Norbert Wu / Sea Pics
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| Range Map |
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| Systematics |
Phylum: Vertebates (Chordata)
Class: Carlilagenous Fishes (Chondrichthyes)
Order: Bullhead sharks (Heterodontiformes)
Family: Bullhead sharks (Heterodontidae)
Genus: Heterodontus (Heterodontus)
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| Name |
| Scientific: | Heterodontus zebra |
| German: | Zebra-Stierkopfhai |
| English: | Zebra bullhead shark |
| French: | Requin dormeur zebre |
| Spanish: | Dormilon acebrado |
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| Appearance |
Cylindrical trunk with conical head. Small spiracles behind and below the eyes. Very short snout, bluntly rounded. Supraorbital ridges low, not abruptly ending behind the eyes. Both dorsal fins with a stout fin spine. Origin of first dorsal fin over pectoral fin bases. Origin of second dorsal fin behind the free ends of the pelvic fins. Large pectoral fins. Anal fin present.
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| Coloration |
Light brown to white body, with 12 narrow, vertical, brown or black stripes on body.
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| Distribution |
Western Pacific: Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia.
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| Biology |
A little-known bottom-living species. Lives in moderate depths on the continental and insular shelves, down to a depth of at least 50 m.
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| Feeding |
Feeds probably on bottom invertebrates.
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| Size |
Maximum length about 122 cm, average size between 80 and 100 cm.
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| Reproduction |
Oviparous (egg laying). Eggs apparently have simple flat paired spiral flanges, nearly transverse to the egg axis with one single turn (visible on the sides). No tendrils on apex, but short ones on opposite end.
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| Similar Species |
Color pattern unmistakable.
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| Endangerment |
Status in the IUCN
Red List:
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No Entry found in Red List.
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| Danger to Humans |
Harmless.
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