Alternate Names: Bullhead shark, hornback shark.

Identification: Horn sharks are spotted sharks with an anal fin and a strong spine at the front of each dorsal fin. Their coloring is tan to dark brown or grayish above, pale yellowish below.

Size: Reported to 48 inches, but the largest verified was just over 38 inches long and 22 pounds. Most hornies caught from piers are under 30 inches in length.

Range: Found from the Gulf of California to Monterey Bay.

Habitat: Prefers rocky areas although also found near sandy areas that contain kelp. They are nocturnal, bottom-feeding foragers who prefer to spend their daylight hours resting on the bottom or in caves and crevices. At night they head out in their search for food -- primarily squids, urchins, crustaceans, anemones and mollusks -- but rarely are they found more than six feet from the bottom.

Piers: Most are caught at southern California piers but a few are caught as far north as the pier at Cayucos. Generally found near piers that are close to reefs or kelp. Best bets: Ocean Beach Pier, Hermosa Beach Pier, Green Pleasure Pier at Avalon, Santa Monica Pier, Gaviota Pier and Goleta Pier.

Bait and Tackle: Crabs, shrimp, squid and small fish are prime baits but hornies appear to take almost any natural bait. Most horn sharks taken by pier anglers are fairly small fish so light-to-medium tackle equipped with size 2 to 2/0 hooks will suffice.

Food Value: Reported to be quite tasty, similar to most other sharks.