Morphology Data of Heterodontus zebra
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. Compagno, L.J.V. and V.H. Niem, 1998
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral elongated
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales placoid scales
Diagnosis

The Zebra bullhead shark, Heterodontus zebra, has a large blunt head, low supra-orbital crest gradually sloping behind eyes, dorsal fin spines, anal fin, and zebra-pattern of dark, narrow vertical bands on a pale background (Ref. 9838; 6871). As characteristic of members of the family, caudal fin with a moderately long dorsal lobe and moderately long ventral lobe, the latter shorter than the dorsal lobe, vertebral axis raised into caudal-fin lobe (Ref.9838).

Ease of Identification easy to distinguish from other species.

Meristic characteristics of Heterodontus zebra

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number 2
Finlets No. Dorsal   0 - 0
Ventral  0 - 0
Spines total 2 - 2
Soft-rays total 0 - 0
Adipose fin absent

Caudal fin

Attributes heterocercal; asymmetric

Anal fin(s)

Fins number 1
Spines total 0 - 0
Soft-rays total 0 - 0

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  more or less normal
Spines     0
Soft-rays   0 - 0
Pelvics Attributes  more or less normal
Position    abdominal  behind origin of D1
Spines     0
Soft-rays   0 - 0
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