How to Spot a Zebra Bullhead Shark

Although fairly common, scientists know little about the zebra bullhead shark, also called the zebra horn shark. Its distinct coloration, shape and markings make this shark difficult to confuse with other species. There are no documented attacks by zebra bullhead sharks on humans.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Locate the bottom-dwelling zebra bullhead shark in the western Pacific on continental and insular shelves, from inshore down to roughly 165-feet deep in the South China Sea. They delve deeper off Australia, down to about 650 feet. They also inhabit waters off Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia.

2. Look for a shark approximately 4 feet long, with a light brown to white body. Zebra bullhead sharks have a striking pattern of vertical, narrow, brown or black stripes along its body.

3. Examine the zebra bullhead shark for a cylindrical trunk, conical head and short, blunt snout, with supraorbital ridges. It has a large knob above each eye and small spiracle below and behind each eye used for respiration. There are five gill slits on each side of its head. Each of its two large dorsal fins has a spine, and it has two large pectoral fins, an anal fin, just under the second dorsal fin, and a large caudal or tail fin.

4. Note that scientists know little about its diet. Like their cousins in the bullhead and horn shark families, zebra bullhead sharks likely eat invertebrates found on the waters' bottom, such as mollusks and crustaceans.