ANIMAL: Horn Shark Heterodontus francisci Type of Animal: Bullhead Shark Habitat: Rocky reefs, kelp areas, sand flats, rocky bottoms, sandy bottoms, caves, crevices, underwater caverns, under ledges, continental shelves, algal beds, found at depths of up to 660 ft Location(s): W coast of North America from California to Gulf of California around Baja California, Mexico Appearance: Short wide head w/ blunt snout & prominent ridges above large eyes, 2 high dorsal fins w/ large spines, brown or gray coloration w/ small dark spots Food/Diet: Peanut worms, cephalopods, sea urchins, crustaceans, small fish, clams, scallops, gastropods, polychaete worms, sea anemones, sea stars, carrion Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in aquariums, marine parks, & zoos. Monitoring of gillnet fisheries. Lifestyle: Solitary or small groups of 2-4 sharks Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Pup Group: School/Shiver Weight: 20 lbs Gestation: 6-10 months Life Span: 25 years Body Length: Male: 2.3 ft Female: 3 ft Young: 1 ft Tail Length: 1.5 ft Main predators of adults are other sharks, marine mammals, larger predatory fish, & eagles. Large marine snails prey on egg cases. Many larger fish prey on juveniles. Active at night (nocturnal). Extract prey using suction. While stable, these sharks are used as food fish & as fishmeal. Spines also made into jewelry. These sharks often accidental bycatch. Sometimes fished for sport. After mating, females lay 2 eggs at a time & can lay up to 24 eggs in single breeding season. These egg cases often called mermaid’s purses. Hunt using sense of smell. They’re ambush predators. Maturity reached at around 4 years old. These sharks grow rather slowly. Many sharks have teeth/fin spines stained purple due to feeding on purple urchins. Tough skin & mildly venomous spines offer some protection. Also called California Horn Shark. Uses strong pectoral fins to crawl among rocks. Much of day spent hiding. Sharp front teeth useful for grasping prey while flat molar-like back teeth useful for crushing. Fun Fact(s): In one experiment where these sharks kept in darkness, they remained continuously active for 11 days. These sharks have one of highest bite forces of any shark relative to size. These sharks are very docile, only biting if harassed. They can also defend themselves w/ mildly venomous spines on dorsal fins. Venomous horn-like projections on dorsal fins are how horn shark gets name.
