Species: Heterodontus francisci, Horn shark, Pacific horn shark
deeply concave between eyes
body spots < 1/3 eye
skin denticles small, smooth
Heterodontus francisci (Girard, 1855)
Horn shark, Pacific horn shark
Head high, conical; snout piglike; mouth small, anterior; a low bony ridge above each eye that ends abruptly at rear; space between eyes deeply concave; nasal grooves before mouth; front teeth on both jaws with 1 large central point and a small point at each side on base of tooth; 5 gill slits, first enlarged, 2-3 over pectoral fin; 2 dorsal fins, each with spine at front; first dorsal fin origin over pectoral base; skin denticles on flank small (~ 200/cm2 in adults) and smooth.
Dark to light grey, back and sides with small dark spots < 1/3 eye diameter; no light bar between eyes; small darks spots on a dusky patch below eye; young brightly colored, with dark saddles.
Size: 122 cm.
Habitat: rocky and sandy habitats, and macroalgal beds.
Depth: 1-150 m, usually 2-11 m.
California to the Gulf of California; possibly Ecuador and Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
-
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Sand & gravel
- Reef and soft bottom
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Rocks
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
-
- No pelagic larva
- Benthic
- No data
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- East Pacific endemic
- TEP non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent
- All species
- Temperate Eastern Pacific, primarily
- Continent only
- California + Peruvian provinces, primarily
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 122
- Depth Range Min
-
- 1
- Depth Range Max
-
- 150
