Crested bullhead shark

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Crested bullhead shark
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Heterodontiformes Family: Heterodontidae Genus: Heterodontus Species: H. galeatus
Binomial name
Heterodontus galeatus (Günther, 1870)
Range of crested bullheadshark (in blue)

The crested bullhead shark, Heterodontus galeatus, is a bullhead shark of the family Heterodontidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean on the continental shelf around eastern Australia from the surface to 90 m. Its length is up to 1.5 m.

The crested bullhead shark is a moderately common benthic and epibenthic shark, occurring from close inshore to about 90 m depth. It feeds primarily on sea urchins, but also on crustaceans, molluscs, and small fishes. Reproduction is oviparous, the egg cases being spirally flanged and with long tendrils. The young are about 22 cm in length when they hatch.

The body has broad blackish bands or saddle markings and has a crested bull head.

[edit] References

• "Heterodontus galeatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.