Galapagos Bullhead Shark

Photo: Billy Bensted-Smith · CC BY-NC

The Galapagos bullhead shark is a bottom-dwelling, nocturnal species that hunts sea urchins and hard-shelled invertebrates along the rocky lava substrate at Punta Mangle. Their unique dentition — front teeth for gripping, back teeth like molars for crushing — is an evolutionary specialization visible if divers observe them feeding at close range. During the day they rest motionless in crevices and under ledges, their patterned skin blending with the speckled lava, and patient divers with a guide who knows the site's hiding spots can reliably find them.