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| synonyms = ''Cestracion francisci'' <small>Girard, 1855</small>
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The '''horn shark''' (''Heterodontus francisci'') is a species of [[bullhead shark]], in the family Heterodontidae. It is [[endemism|endemic]] to the coastal waters off the western coast of [[North America]], from [[California]] to the [[Gulf of California]]. Young sharks are segregated spatially from the adults, with the former preferring deeper sandy flats and the latter preferring shallower rocky [[reef]]s or [[algae|algal]] beds. A small species typically measuring {{convert|
Slow-moving, generally solitary [[predator]]s, horn sharks hunt at night inside small [[home range]]s and retreat to a favored shelter during the day. Their daily activity cycles are controlled by environmental light levels. Adult sharks prey mainly on hard-shelled [[mollusc]]s, [[echinoderm]]s, and [[crustacean]]s, which they crush between powerful jaws and [[molar (tooth)|molar]]-like teeth, while also feeding opportunistically on a wide variety of other [[invertebrate]]s and small [[bony fish]]es. Juveniles prefer softer-bodied prey such as [[polychaete worm]]s and [[sea anemone]]s. The shark extracts its prey from the substrate using suction and, if necessary, [[lever]]ing motions with its body. Reproduction is [[oviparous]], with females laying up to 24 eggs from February to April. After laying, the female picks up the [[auger (drill)|auger]]-shaped egg cases and wedges them into crevices to protect them from predators.
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