Galapagos bullhead shark (Heterodontus quoyi)

Scientific name: Heterodontus quoyi Fr?minville, 1840

Galapagos bullhead shark (Heterodontus quoyi)

The Galapagos bullhead shark (Heterodontus quoyi) is a marine fish of the family Heterodontidae.

Biology

Inhabits sand flat and rocky, boulder strewn reef areas, with sand between outcroppings in inshore continental and insular waters. Rests motionless on the bottom. Is docile, non-aggressive and a poor swimmer. Nocturnal. Feeds on shellfish, crabs, and small invertebrates. Oviparous. Size at birth (for a newly hatched male) is 17 cm.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Heterodontus quoyi
Family
Heterodontidae (Bullhead / horn / Port Jackson sharks)
Order
Heterodontiformes (Bullhead and Horn sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
107
Depth range
3–40 m (10–131 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 40 m, usually 16 - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Peru (including offshore islands) and the Galapagos Islands. There might be another Heterodontus species from Peru which is Heterodontus peruanus, but these two cannot be separated as of this time for lack of materials examined.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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