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The shark species "Japanese wobbegong"

Photo
Japanese wobbegong
Japanese wobbegong
Photo © Doug Perrine

Photo © Doug Perrine

Range Map
North America South America Africa Australia Europe Asia Coming soon Coming soon
North America South America Africa Australia Europe Asia Coming soon Coming soon
Japanese wobbegong

Rough area of distribution

Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Animals (Animalia)
Phylum:
Vertebrates (Chordata)
Class:
Cartilagenous fishes (Chondrichthyes)
Order:
Carpet sharks (Orectolobiformes)
Family:
Wobbegongs (Orectolobidae)
Genus:
Orectolobus
Names
Scientific:
Orectolobus japonicus
English:
Japanese wobbegong
German:
Japanischer Teppichhai
French:
Requin-tapis moustache
Spanish:
Tapicero japones
Appearance
Flattened body, with branched, dermal lobes on sides of head. Well developed spiracles, right behind the eyes. First dorsal fin moderately high, its origin over the midbase of the pelvic fins. Second dorsal fin"s origin right behind the free rear end of the first dorsal fin. Pectorals flat and broad with rounded apices.
Coloration
Dark back, with conspicuous color pattern. Variegated with broad dark, dorsal saddles and light spots, mixed with light areas and dark broad lines.
Distribution
Western North Pacific: Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines.
Biology
Little known species. Lives preferably in shore waters, at the bottom. The more inactive life style and the fanglike teeth (two in upper jaw, three in lower one) points toward an ambush predator.
Diet
Fishes, and probably invertebrates.
Size
Maximum size not known, but over 100 cm.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (aplacental viviparous). Litter size up to 20 pups.
Similar Species
Similar to Spotted Wobbegong , which however has light O-shaped markings obscuring darker saddles and Ornate wobbegong ,which however has the dark saddles on its back marks with dark, light centred spots, compared to broad reticulated dark lines of the described species.
Vulnerability
Category: Least Concern (LC)
Criteria: -
Last evaluated: 2020
Trend: Decreasing

Danger to Humans
Harmless.


© IUCN 2023. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2023-1.
https://www.iucnredlist.org. Status 2023.


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