For most of the year, horn sharks are most common at a depth of . At the onset of winter, they migrate to water deeper than . This species has been found in caves as deep as . Juvenile horn sharks between long prefer sandy flats with low vertical relief, in water deep. They often take advantage of large feeding pits excavated by the bat ray ("Myliobatis californica") for shelter and food. As they mature, horn sharks shift into shallower water and their preferred habitat becomes structurally complex rocky reefs or algae beds. This strongly benthic species seldom ventures more than above the substrate.