Mozambique bullhead shark

Heterodontus ramalheira

Sharks and rays
IUCN: Data deficient

Usual depth40–180 m
Water temperature25–27 °C
Best monthsFebruary, June, and August
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The whitespotted bullhead shark, Heterodontus ramalheira, is a bullhead shark of the family Heterodontidae found in the western and northern Indian Ocean between latitudes 22°N to 26°S, at depths between 40 and 305 m. It can grow up to a length of 83 cm.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Whitespotted bullhead shark”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 0 records
February: 1 records
March: 0 records
April: 0 records
May: 0 records
June: 1 records
July: 0 records
August: 1 records
September: 0 records
October: 1 records
November: 0 records
December: 1 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 40–180 m · Deepest record: 180 m

40–50 m: 1 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 1 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110–120 m: 1 records
120–130 m: 1 records
130–140 m: 0 records
140–150 m: 0 records
150+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 25–27 °C

24–26 °C: 5 records
26–28 °C: 5 records

Names and classification

English: Mozambique bullhead shark, Whitespotted bullhead shark, heterodontus zebra, whitespotted bullhead shark, White-spotted Bullhead Shark, zebra bullhead shark

Names in 3 more languages

German: Weißgepunkteter Stierkopfhai
Spanish: dormilón boquigrande
French: requin dormeur chabot

Other scientific names: Gyropleurodus ramalheira

Similar species

Bullhead
Heterodontus portusjacksoni
Crested bullhead shark
Heterodontus galeatus
Bull head
Heterodontus japonicus
Heterodontus marshallae
Barred bull-head shark
Heterodontus zebra

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
10 open-data records from 1964 to 2007.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist