|
- Code Number:
- AACV01P07_18
- Title:
- Horn shark, Heterodontus Francisci
- While sleeker sharks rule the open waters, horn sharks hide out in the shadows of the seafloor. They’re not graceful swimmers and don't move around like their streamlined kin—in fact, sometimes horn sharks use their strong pectoral fins to crawl along rocks.
They first appeared nearly 140 million years ago.
These small, elusive sharks spend their days hiding under ledges, in caves or among kelp and other seaweeds; they hunt at night and feed by crushing smnall animals with flattened back teeth. Spots on its body provide camouflage for swimming in sandy areas.
They prefer shallow waters less than 40 feet deep. They spend their days hiding under ledges, in caves or among kelp and other seaweeds; they hunt at night. Horn sharks feed on seafloor invertebrates, especially sea urchins and crabs, and occasionally on small fishes.
The horn shark’s average length is just over three feet, and it’s named for its large fin spines.
Diet: crustaceans, sea urchins, small fishes, molluscs
Size: to 4 feet (1.2 m)
Range: Central California to Baja California
- Keywords:
-
Chondrichthyes, Cartilaginous Fishes, Vertebrates, Animals, Predator, sealife, predation
- Image by:
- Wernher Krutein
|
