Sealife guideThe Heterodontiformes orderThe taxonomy of marine species

Explore the taxonomy of the sea vertebrates including the cetaceans like the whales or the dolphins, the sea birds, the fish, the sharks and the sea turtles !

The order Heterodontiformes includes sharks known for their distinctive blunt heads and unique teeth, which allow them to crush hard-shelled prey such as sea urchins and mollusks.

The horn shark family includes a small number of species, generally around 9 recognized species. These sharks are small to medium-sized, live mainly on rocky and sandy coastal bottoms, and feed primarily on mollusks and crustaceans, which they crush with their specialized teeth.

Crested hornshark
(Heterodontus galeatus)

Horn shark
(Heterodontus francisci)

Japanese bullhead shark
(Heterodontus japonicus)

Port Jackson shark
(Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

Zebra bullhead shark
(Heterodontus zebra)

Our latestUpdates

Wednesday, August 19th 2026

The Fiji islands

Discover Fiji, a South Pacific island nation known for white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons, coral reefs, tropical forests and traditional villages.

Friday, August 14th 2026

The reef manta ray

Discover the reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi), an impressive tropical ray that frequents coral reefs and feeds mainly on plankton.

Wednesday, August 12th 2026

The crown-of-thorns starfish

Discover the crown-of-thorns starfish, a voracious coral predator that, when populations become unusually large, can consume vast areas of coral and cause significant damage to coral reefs.

Photo of the Day

Poisson chirurgien rayé
(Acanthurus lineatus)