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Crested Horn Shark
Heterodontus galeatus (Günther, 1870)
A Crested Horn Shark at a depth of 23 m, off Macquarie Lighthouse, outside Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, February 2000. View larger image.
A female Crested Horn Shark in the process of laying an egg case. The fish was photographed at a depth of 18 m, off Avalon Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, July 2006. Photo © P. Cave. View larger image. View another image of this fish.
A Crested Horn Shark at a depth of 14 m, North West Solitary Island, New South Wales, October 1999. View larger image.
A Crested Horn Shark at a depth of 20 m, Jervis Bay, New South Wales. View 
A Crested Horn Shark (front) and Port Jackson Shark at a depth of 25 m, Shark Point, Sydney, New South Wales, May 1998. View larger image.
The Crested Horn Shark has a blunt head with a prominent ridge above both eyes. It has two tall dorsal fins that are each preceded by a stout spine.
The species is grey to brown with large dark blotches. It resembles the Port Jackson Shark, which has a harness-like pattern on the sides of the body and lower ridges above the eyes.
The Crested Horn Shark grows to 1.5 m in length. Males mature at about 60 cm in length. Females mature at about 70 cm.
It is an egg-laying species (oviparous). Females lay dark brown spiraled egg cases that are usually seen attached by tendrils to seaweed. The egg cases of Port Jackson Sharks look similar but lack tendrils. Young Crested Horn Sharks hatch from the egg case after about eight months at about 22 cm in length.
Dietary items include echinoderms, crustaceans, molluscs and small fishes.
The Crested Horn Shark is endemic to Australia, occurring from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It has been recorded from shallow inshore waters, down to depths of around 90 m.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- Port Jackson Shark fact sheet
- Japanese Bullhead Shark fact sheet
- View the family Heterodontidae list
- View the Sharks list
Further reading
- Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
