12/06/2026
【標本秀 | 海中的斑馬？】*Eng Below* 陽光穿透海水，一條身上帶著斑馬紋的魚正在海底歇息，害羞地躲在岩石後🪨。乍眼一看，你可能會把牠寬大的頭部誤認為公牛的頭，因此牠英文名字稱作「牛頭鯊」(Bullhead Shark)。這種迷人的生物屬於異齒鯊科(Heterodontidae)，牠被稱為狹紋虎鯊 𝘏𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢 (Gray, 1831)，是一位偽裝的高手 🥷🏻。
這種鯊魚性情古怪且體型小，通常棲息於海底，常見於淺水區深度可達 50 米以上的水域 🌊，偶爾可深至 200 米。牠的分布範圍從太平洋韓半島周邊的海域延伸至印尼，以及印度洋的澳洲西北部。牠的外形十分獨特：身體細長、橢圓形，扁平，體長可達約 1.2 米。
牠英文名字「斑馬」一字暗示了牠的外觀：牠身上擁有 22–36 條狹窄直立的「斑馬紋」，深褐色或黑色，並與較淺的棕褐色或偏黃的體色反襯。這提供了完美的偽裝，讓牠融入海底的岩石中，避免被掠食者與獵物發現 🔍。牠的「牛頭」則來自牠頭部的形狀。牠短而鈍的頭及眼上方骨質隆起，讓牠看起來帶有牛角，如公牛一般。然而，千萬別低估這個「牛頭」：牠的吻部佈滿感覺器 📡，協助牠探測躲藏在岩石與縫隙中的獵物。憑藉天然的體色與強勁的吻部，牠毫無疑問是一位「捉迷藏」的高手 — 善於隱藏，也善於捕獵。
這種鯊魚在維持海洋生態系中扮演着重要的角色。作為中層掠食者，牠的覓食習性有助於調節無脊椎動物的種群。其中一個有趣的適應方式是牠會獵食多數掠食者都避開的生物 — 具棘刺的海膽。牠善於使用牠大型、帶有稜脊的後部牙齒來壓碎獵物的堅硬外殼，然後再吞下。因此，當許多鯊魚控制魚類族群，狹紋虎鯊則負責控制海膽的數量，這對維持珊瑚礁與海藻的健康十分重要🪸。
若說鯊魚普遍被貼上「兇狠殺手」😱的名號 — 這種印象多半源自電影與媒體宣傳。但狹紋虎鯊卻向我們展示：在超過 550 種鯊魚之中，其實存在着各式各樣的行為。事實上，狹紋虎鯊通常被認為是害羞、膽小且溫馴的生物☺️。個體大多數時間在岩礁或洞穴中躲藏，只有在夜間才出來捕食。牠們不具攻擊性，且多半對人類無害。然而，牠們擁有強壯的顎與牙齒，能壓碎甲殼類、軟體動物以及海膽的外殼。當牠們感到受威脅時，可能會弓起背部並抬高頭部，採取防禦姿勢。牠們背鰭上那些突出的刺帶有輕微的毒，同樣是重要的防禦機制 ⚔️。
有些鯊魚需要不停游動才能讓水流經鰓部以進行呼吸；但狹紋虎鯊可以在海底保持靜止 。牠會使用一種稱為頰泵機制的特殊方式呼吸。牠會利用口部與喉嚨周圍的肌肉，透過眼睛後方的兩個開口主動將水吸入口中，這兩個開口稱為噴水孔 (spiracle)。隨後，噴水孔會關閉以防止水倒流。接著，牠收縮喉部，將水推過牠的鰓部，從而提取氧氣。被使用過的水再透過鰓縫排出。這個循環讓牠不必游泳也能呼吸。噴水孔的位置甚至使牠即使埋在沙中仍能進行呼吸，避免吸入沙麈和碎屑 💨。
狹紋虎鯊屬於卵生（會產卵），與約 30–40% 的鯊魚物種相同；而其餘大多數鯊魚物種的胚胎則在母親體內完成整個發育過程。從春季到夏季，雌鯊會將卵成對地放在縫隙或在海藻之間。卵會包覆在一種獨特，螺旋狀、皮革質的卵殼中。經過數月到一年時間，幼鯊就會孵化出來，並以卵黃囊作為食物，幼鯊體長約 15–18 厘米🦈。
狹紋虎鯊是否提高了您對生態和生物多樣性的興趣？如果您的答案是肯定的，請來到香港生物多樣性博物館🏛️，我們有從珊瑚到哺乳類動物等多樣化的標本，您可以了解更多關於其迷人的生態！如果您覺得這篇文章引人入勝，請與朋友分享，並關注我們每週發布的生物多樣性故事！
The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum: Pursuing Successful Environmental Education and Biodiversity Awareness 項目由環境及自然保育基金資助
文：Giaan
【Specimen Showcase | The Zebra of the Sea?】
As sunlight shines into the seawater, a zebra-striped fish rests at the bottom, shyly hiding behind a rock. 🪨At first glance, you might mistake its broad head for that of a bull. This fascinating creature is a member of the bullhead shark family, Heterodontidae, known as the Zebra Bullhead Shark, 𝘏𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢 (Gray, 1831), a master of camouflage. 🥷🏻
This species is a quirky, small, bottom-dwelling shark found usually in shallow waters down to 50 m deep or more rarely as deep as 200 m. 🌊 Its distribution ranges from the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula to Indonesia in the Pacific Ocean and northern Western Australia in the Indian Ocean. Its appearance is distinctive with a slim, oval-shaped, almost ray-like body, that can reach a length of up to 120 cm.
Its name ‘Zebra’ hints at its appearance – with 22-36 narrow, vertical, zebra- dark brown or black stripes on a lighter tan or yellowish background. This provides perfect camouflage that helps it blend in with rocky substrates and stay unnoticed by predators and prey alike. 🔍The ‘Bullhead’ part of its name comes from the shape of its head. They have a short, blunt head, which features prominent, bony crests located directly above their eyes, giving the fish a horned, bull-like appearance. However, do not underestimate this "bullhead," as this snout is packed with sensory organs that help them detect prey hiding in rocks and crevices. 📡With its natural coloration and powerful snout, it is undoubtedly a mater of hide-and-seek – outstanding at hiding and excelling in hunting.
This shark plays a crucial role in maintaining the marine ecosystem. As a mid-level predator, it helps regulate populations of invertebrates through its feeding habits. One fascinating adaptation is its predation on spiny sea urchins, which most predators avoid. The shark is specialized in crushing this hard-shelled prey using its large, ridged posterior teeth before swallowing. Therefore, while many sharks control fish populations, the Zebra Bullhead Shark plays a vital role in the health of reef and kelp forest communities by keeping urchin numbers in check. 🪸
If sharks commonly have a reputation of fierce killers 😱 -largely spread by sensationalist movies and media-, the Zebra Bullhead Shark demonstrates that among the 550+ species of sharks a wide range of behaviors exist. Indeed, the Zebra Bullhead Shark is generally considered a shy, timid, and docile creature. ☺️Individuals spend most of the day hiding in rocky reefs or caves, only coming out at night to hunt. They are non-aggressive and mostly harmless to humans. However, they possess strong jaws and teeth designed for crushing the shells of crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins. When threatened, they may arch their backs and raise their heads in a defensive posture. The prominent, mildly venomous spines on their dorsal fins also serve as a key defensive mechanism. ⚔️
While some sharks need to swim to force water over their gills for ventilation, the Zebra Bullhead Shark can remain still on the ocean floor. It breathes using a special technique called buccal pumping. The shark uses muscles around its mouth and throat (buccal muscles) to actively draw water in through two openings behind its eyes, called spiracles. The spiracles then close to prevent backflow. The shark then contracts its throat to push the water over its gills, where oxygen is extracted. The used water is expelled through the gill slits. This cycle allows it to breathe without swimming. The position of its spiracles even allows it to respire while buried in sand, avoiding inhalation of debris. 💨
The Zebra Bullhead Shark is oviparous (egg-laying), just like 30-40% of shark species, unlike the majority of sharks whose embryos develop entirely inside the mother's body. From spring to late summer, a female will deposit eggs in pairs into crevices or amongst seaweed for protection. The eggs are encased in a distinctive, spiral-shaped, leathery egg case. After several months to a year, young sharks hatch out and feed on their yolk sac, measuring 15-18 cm. 🦈
Does the Zebra Bullhead Shark raise your interest in ecology and biodiversity? If your answer is positive, come to the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum 🏛️where we have a wide variety of specimens, from corals to mammals, and you can learn more about their fascinating ecology. And if you found this article engaging, share it with your friends and stay tuned for our captivating biodiversity narratives released weekly!
With the funding support of the Environment and Conservation Fund - The Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum: Pursuing Successful Environmental Education and Biodiversity Awareness
Text: Giaan
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