This is a revised taxonomic concept which excludes Heterodontus marshallae that is now recognized as a separate species that occurs solely in Australia (White et al. 2023). This species can be distinguished from H. marshallae by different dark markings on the snout and dorsal surface of pectoral fin (White et al. 2023).

The Barred Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus zebra) is a small (to 122 cm total length) shark that occurs from Korea to Indonesia in the Northwest and Western Central Pacific Oceans. It is demersal and likely nocturnal on rocky habitats on the continental shelf at depths from the surface to 50 m. The species is mainly caught in trawl fisheries and is discarded across most of its range, with some individuals displayed in aquaria. It is considered to be common across most of its range and other than noted as being rarely captured in Borneo, there is little information on landings. The likely rocky habitats and nocturnal behaviour would considerably reduce the threat of fishing pressure and post-release survival is suspected to be high. It is suspected that some localised population reductions may have occurred in areas overlapping with intense fisheries but not sufficiently to be close to reaching the population reduction threshold, and the Barred Bullhead Shark is assessed as Least Concern.

The Barred Bullhead Shark is found in the Northwest and Western Central Pacific Oceans from North Korea to Indonesia including Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Last et al. 2010, Motomura et al. 2017, Ebert et al. 2021).

No data are available on population trends of the species but the Barred Bullhead Shark is noted as common within most of its range; it is not common in Taiwan (Barratt and Cavanagh 2003, Ebert et al. 2013a, H. Ho unpub. data 2020). The species occurrence in rocky habitats and its nocturnal behaviour would considerably reduce fishing catchability and pressure across most of its distribution. Due to fishing threats in most areas, it is suspected the population may have been reduced but not sufficiently to be close to meeting the population reduction threshold.

The Barred Bullhead Shark is demersal on the continental and insular shelf at depths from the surface to 50 m (Ebert et al. 2021, White et al. 2023). If similar to other species in the family, it is mainly nocturnal, foraging at night in sandy habitats and resting in rocky reefs by day (Ebert et al. 2013b). It reaches a maximum size of 122 cm total length (TL), males mature at 64–84 cm TL and female size-at-maturity is unknown; females at 44 cm TL are immature (Ebert et al. 2021). Reproduction is oviparous with size-at-birth of 15 cm TL (Last and Stevens 2009, Ebert et al. 2021). Egg cases are large and presumably lodged into rocky crevices (Last et al. 2010). Nothing else is known of its biology.

The Barred Bullhead Shark is taken as bycatch in mainly trawl, and possibly gillnet and longline, fisheries but is not of commercial value and likely discarded. Based on other Heterodontus species, it is suspected to have low at-vessel-mortality of ~0–3% in gillnets and post-release mortality in gillnets, trawl, and longline is also suspected to be low (Tovar-Ávila et al. 2010, Ellis et al. 2017). There is no available information on captures except in Borneo where it is reported as rarely captured (Last et al. 2010); for example, only eight individuals were observed in 274 surveyed landings at Kota Kinabulu from August 2015–July 2016 (SEAFDEC 2016).

Fishing pressure is intense across most of its range with inshore fisheries fully or over-exploited in China, Taiwan, Viet Nam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia (Blaber et al. 2009, Kuo and Booth 2011, Palomares and Pauly 2014, Teh et al. 2014, Teh and Teh 2014, Liang and Pauly 2017). The Barred Bullhead Shark's presumed nocturnal behaviour would provide refuge from daytime fishing pressure (Tovar-Ávila et al. 2010). Indirect and sublethal sources of mortality include habitat destruction and degradation. In Viet Nam, dynamite and cyanide fishing, and sedimentation have caused widespread destruction of reefs (Jameson et al. 1995, FAO 2020).

In Borneo, the meat is sold as fillets or as the whole body and is of moderate value while the fins are of no value (Last et al. 2010, SEAFDEC 2016). The species is used in hobbyist and public display aquaria (Ebert et al. 2021).

No specific measures are in place. In Taiwan, potential rocky reef habitat of this species would occur within marine protected areas. There are ~32 Protected Areas which cover ~38% of the Taiwan coastline and ~47% of Taiwan territorial seas, with no-entry and no-take areas accounting for accounting for 0.9% and 4.6% of the territorial seas, respectively (MacKinnon et al. 2012, Fisheries Agency 2019, Liao et al. 2019). There is a prohibition on using any net fishing gear (e.g. trawls, seine nets) in 68 reef areas (Fisheries Agency 2019). Since the mid–2000s, gillnets have been banned within three nautical miles (nm) in parts of five counties with a policy of gradual removal of gillnets from within 3 nm of the entire coast and government assistance to transition to line and troll fishing (Fisheries Agency 2019, Liao et al. 2019).

In China, it is likely that some of the potential rocky reef habitat of this species are within marine protected areas. It is estimated that ~20% of the Chinese coastline is included in protected areas (MacKinnon et al. 2012). In Viet Nam, there is a prohibition on destructive fishing practices and some fisheries regulations, however, enforcement and compliance is limited (Teh et al. 2014). There are at least three Marine Protected Areas (Hon Mun, Cu Lao Cham, and Con Dao) with an aim to preserve 2% of the marine area (FAO 2020).

In the Philippines, active fishing gears, including trawlers, were prohibited in 1998 within municipal marine waters (<3 nautical miles from shore). Trawlers within commercial waters have been required since 2010 to use Juvenile and Trashfish Excluder Devices under the Fisheries Administrative Order 237 series of 2010 (D. Tanay unpubl. data 2020), which may reduce the retention of sharks (Brewer et al. 2006). There are >1,800 Marine Protected Areas (NFRDI 2017, CTI 2020) and some of these Marine Protected Areas are known to provide shark and ray protection including Donsol, Malapascua, Cagayancillo Marine Protected Areas, and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (NFRDI 2017, Murray et al. 2018). Throughout Malaysia there are 51 Marine Protected Areas making up 5,462 km² that may provide some refuge to this species (CTI 2020). In Indonesia, trawls were banned from use in 1980, however, mini trawls (Lampara) are still used throughout the country and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries permits Danish seine (Cantrang) to operate but they are spatially restricted (Chong et al. 1987). Across Indonesia there are 196 Marine Protected Areas making up 239,428 km² that may provide some refuge to this species (CTI 2020). Further research is needed on population size and trends, and life history, and catch levels should be monitored.