Nocturnal and bottom-dwelling, the crested bullhead shark favors rocky reefs and vegetated areas, where it hunts for sea urchins and other small organisms.

It is oviparous, with females producing spiral-shaped egg capsules that are secured to seaweed or sponges with long tendrils.

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.

[2] The range of the crested bullhead shark is restricted to the warm temperate waters along the eastern coast of Australia, from Cape Moreton, Queensland, to Batemans Bay, New South Wales.

[1] Bottom-dwelling in nature, the crested bullhead shark is found over the continental shelf from the intertidal zone to a depth of 93 m (305 ft), being more common in deeper waters.

[1] The crested bullhead shark is a slow-moving, nocturnal species often seen wedging its head between rocks in search of food.

It feeds primarily on the sea urchins Centrostephanus rodgersii and Heliocidaris erythrogramma, but has also been known to take a variety of other invertebrates and small fishes.

Females produce 10–16 eggs per year during late winter in July and August, though Michael (1993) noted that egg-laying may continue year-round.

[1] The egg cases measure around 11 cm (4.3 in) in length, with a pair of thin flanges spiraling 6–7 times around the outside and two slender tendrils up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long at one end, used to attach the capsule to seaweed or sponges.

The time to hatching has been variously reported as 5 and 8–9 months; the newly emerged young measure 17–22 cm (6.7–8.7 in) long and resemble the adults.