Horn shark
Heterodontus francisci
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Size, compared with you
You: 1.7 m. Horn shark: 1.2 m.
Person-sized. Grows up to about 1.2 m.
A small bottom-dwelling shark of the eastern Pacific, with a pair of spines in front of its fins like little horns. It crunches shellfish with flat, grinding teeth.
The weird bit
For its size, a horn shark has the strongest bite known among sharks. Mothers also tuck their spiral egg cases into rock crevices to keep them safe.
Quick facts
- Where it lives
- Coral reef, Coast and shallows0 to 152 m down
- What it eats
- Sea urchins, crabs, snails, clams and other hard-shelled animals
- How worried are we?
- Doing okay (Least Concern)Assessed in 2024 by the IUCN Red List.