Home > Animals > Fish > Horn shark

Horn shark

(Heterodontus francisci)

 

Category: Fish

 

 

Horn sharks inhabit coastal waters off the western coast of North America, from California to the Gulf of California. They are a relatively small species, adults measuring about 3.3 feet in length, with brown or gray coloration and many small spots. These slow-moving, mostly solitary predators hunt at night for hard-shelled molluscs, echinoderms, and crustaceans, which they crush between powerful jaws and molar-like teeth.

 

Data & Facts

Scientific Classification
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Chondrichthyes
Order - Heterodontiformes
Family - Heterodontidae
Genus - Heterodontus
Species - H. francisci

 
Did you know?
Interesting Animal Facts

ABC. It’s easy as Protandry

The largest, most aggressive female anemonefish rules the roost - she is the dominant member of the social group, and with one breeding male, the only one who reproduces. In anemonefish society, everybody knows where they stand in the hierarchy! So when she leaves the group, everybody moves up one spot - including the largest, most aggressive male, who undergoes a sex change to become the leader (and breeding female) of the group. While undergoing a sex change might sound drastic to humans, it is actually not all that uncommon in other species. Many do it, either naturally or due to environmental factors: fish, invertebrates, amphibians, some reptiles, even the occasional chicken!

Learn more >>

 


NAIA - National Animal Interest Alliance Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
To learn more about the NAIA or about other NAIA programs, visit us at www.NAIAOnline.org
if you would like to help, join or support the NAIA or any of its programs please click here >>