 British zoologist Albert Günther originally described the crested bullhead shark as "Cestracion galeatus" in the 1870 eighth volume of "Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum".He chose the specific epithet "galeatus" from the Latin for "helmeted", referring to the prominent ridges above the shark's eyes that also give it its common name.Subsequent authors moved this species to the genera "Gyropleurodus" and "Molochophrys" before placing it in "Heterodontus".