Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Port Jackson Shark Heterodontus portusjacksoni
This small shark belongs to a group of about nine sluggish, bottom-living sharks called bullhead or horn sharks. It has two dorsal fins, each with a short spine, and large, paddlelike, paired fins. It is a poor swimmer and uses its fins to crawl over the seabed at night in search of sea urchins, which it grabs using its pointed front teeth and crushes using broad rear teeth. Females lay unusual spiral egg cases, which they wedge into crevices.
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- Order Heterodontiformes
- Length Up to 5 ft (1.7 m)
- Weight Not recorded
- Depth 0–900 ft (0–275 m)
- Distribution Temperate waters off southern Australia and possibly New Zealand
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