Horn shark
📖 Overview
Sluggish, nocturnal, and mostly solitary species. Inhabit rocky bottoms, kelp beds, sandy draws between rocks, on sand flats, deep crevices and small caves and also large underwater caverns. Adults tend to return to the same resting place every day . Feed on benthic invertebrates, especially sea urchins, crabs and probably abalone, also fishes. Oviparous . May bite back when harassed. Has broad muscular paired fins used as limbs for clambering on the bottom. Catch reduced to fish meal; fin spines used in production of jewels.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Physical description for Horn shark is currently being compiled.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Horn shark is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Horn shark is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Oviparous . Distinct pairing with embrace . Courtship starts when the male chases the female, then when both are ready, they drop to the bottom . During courtship and prior to copulation, the male bites and wraps its body to the female pectoral fin, body, tail, and gills . The male then inserts a single clasper in the female's cloaca; copulation lasts 30 to 40 min. After one or two weeks later, the eggs are laid in about 11 to 14 intervals for 4 months which were deposited under rocks or in crevices, as was observed in nature. In captivity, the female drops the eggs on the bottom where the contents of the egg cases maybe eaten by these sharks; the eggs are hatched in 7 to 9 months. The young begin to feed one month after hatching .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 152 m , usually 2 - 11 m . Subtropical; 37°N - 15°S, 124°W - 75°W central California, USA to the Gulf of California, and probably Ecuador and Peru.
🌿 Ecology
benthic invertebrates, especially sea urchins, crabs and probably abalone, also fishes
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | bullhead shark · California bull-head shark · California Horn Shark · horn shark · horned shark · Port Jackson Shark |
| 🌍CES | různozubec Francisův |
| 🇩🇪German | Hornhai · Kalifornischer Stierkopfhai |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | sarvihai |
| 🇫🇷French | requin dormeur cornu |
| 🇭🇺Hungarian | Horn-foki cápa |
| 🌍IND | Hiu tanduk totol |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Squalo cornuto del Pacifico |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | カリフォルニアネコザメ |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Californische stierkophaai |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Tubarão-cornudo · Tubarão-focinho-de-porco-da-Califórnia |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Калифорнийская бычья акула · Калифорнийская рогатая акула |
| 🌍SLV | rogati bikoglavec |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | dormilón cornudo · tiburón puerco |
| 🌍TAM | கொம்புச் சுறா |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 佛氏虎鯊 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cestracion francisci | Girard | 1855 | Synonym |
| Gyropleurodus francisci | Girard | 1855 | Synonym |
| Heterodontis francisci | Girard | 1855 | Synonym |
| Heterodontis francisi | Girard | 1855 | Synonym |
| Heterodontus californicus | Herald | 1961 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 63 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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