What is the Japanese sawshark's snout used for?

It uses the long, saw-like, tooth-edged snout, aided by a pair of sensory barbels, to detect and slash or injure prey hidden in the sandy seafloor.

Is the Japanese sawshark dangerous to people?

No, its deep-water, bottom-dwelling lifestyle means it poses essentially no threat to humans.

Where can the Japanese sawshark be seen in aquariums?

Several Japanese aquariums display it, including Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which achieved the world's first captive breeding of the species in 2014.

Japanese Sawsharkノコギリザメ

Pristiophorus japonicusLC— Least Concern

The Japanese sawshark (Pristiophorus japonicus) is a small, nocturnal shark identified by its long, tooth-edged, saw-like snout, which it uses to injure or slice prey such as small fish, squid, and crustaceans on the seafloor. It lives on sandy or muddy bottoms of the northwestern Pacific around Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, from about 40 m down to 800 m deep, and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN despite bycatch pressure from bottom trawling.

Japanese Sawshark (reference photo) — Photo: タウナギ / CC0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Pristiophoriformes / Pristiophoridae Source
Size: Total length around 1.4–1.5 m (some sources give a maximum of 136–170 cm)
Diet: Carnivore Small fish, squid, and crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs; uses its snout to dig prey out of the sand
Activity: Nocturnal
Distribution: Found in the northwestern Pacific around Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and northern China, inhabiting sandy or muddy continental shelf bottoms at depths from around 40 m down to 800 m. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

It swings its saw-like, tooth-lined snout to injure or slice prey in two, and uses a pair of fleshy barbels on the snout to sense buried animals. Source
It poses essentially no threat to humans due to its deep, benthic habitat, but faces significant bycatch risk from bottom trawls and gillnets. Source
The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium achieved the world's first successful captive breeding of the Japanese sawshark in 2014. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 4

Okinawa Churaumi AquariumOkinawaOpened in 2002

Source

ENOSHIMA AQUARIUMKanagawaOpened in 2004

Source

Port of Nagoya Public AquariumAichi5 minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Nagoyako Station on the Subway Meiko Line (transfer to the Meiko Line at Sakae Station on the Higashiyama Line, or at Kanayama Station on the Meitetsu and JR lines).

Source

Aqua World Ibaraki Prefecture Oarai AquariumIbarakiAddress: 8252-3 Isohama-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture.

Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Least Concern (LC)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

What is the Japanese sawshark's snout used for?: It uses the long, saw-like, tooth-edged snout, aided by a pair of sensory barbels, to detect and slash or injure prey hidden in the sandy seafloor. Source
Is the Japanese sawshark dangerous to people?: No, its deep-water, bottom-dwelling lifestyle means it poses essentially no threat to humans. Source
Where can the Japanese sawshark be seen in aquariums?: Several Japanese aquariums display it, including Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which achieved the world's first captive breeding of the species in 2014. Source
How many operating facilities are registered here?: Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 4 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org