All fish / Heterodontidae

Port Jackson shark

Heterodontus portusjacksoni

Also known as port jackson, pj shark, horn shark, bullhead shark, oyster crusher, tabbigaw, pigfish, port jackson horn shark, ポートジャクソンネコザメ, 澳大利亚虎鲨, 杰克逊港虎鲨

This is a stout bottom-dwelling shark with a blunt head, prominent ridges above the eyes, a spine in front of each dorsal fin and dark harness-like bands on a pale brown body. It is calm, hardy and slow-moving, which makes it a popular display animal in public aquariums with cool-water exhibits.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

120 cm

Temperature

14 to 22 °C

pH

8 to 8.4

Smallest tank

20000 litres

Keep as

Alone or in small groups in very large systems

Diet

Carnivore: sea urchins, crabs, prawns, molluscs such as clams and mussels, and fish

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

20 to 30 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Temperate southern Australia, from southern Queensland round to Western Australia, including Tasmania

Breeding

It lays spiral-shaped egg cases that the female wedges into rock crevices, and the young hatch after roughly 10 to 12 months. Public aquariums have bred it successfully, but this needs huge, chilled systems and is not practical for home keepers.

Good to know

Adults reach well over a metre and need a cold-water system of many thousands of litres, so it is unsuitable for home aquariums. The dorsal spines can cause painful wounds, and collection or export may be restricted under Australian state rules.