Horn shark
Heterodontus francisci
Where at Shedd?
Oceans
| Diet | Fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins |
|---|---|
| Size | Length: Up to 38 inches (97 cm) |
| Type | Sharks & Rays |
| Range | Eastern Pacific |
| Habitat | Inshore and offshore over algae covered rocky bottoms and kelp forests in the eastern Pacific Ocean |
About the Horn shark
As its name suggests, this species has a short, blunt head and hornlike ridges.
Did you know?
- With its short, blunt head, horn-like eye ridges and cylindrical body, the horn shark isn’t your typical shark. It’s not speedy either; this shark uses its fins to paddle along the sea floor.
- Horn sharks have sharp front teeth for grasping, but they also have molar-like back teeth for grinding mollusk, urchin and crab shells. For their size, they have the strongest known bite force of any shark.
- Unlike most sharks, this species provides some care for its young. The female wedges her egg cases into rock crevices; their spiral flanges make the cases hard for predators to remove.