Japanese spurdog
Species of shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Japanese spurdog (Squalus japonicus) is a dogfish, a member of the family Squalidae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean – southeastern Japan and the East China Sea,[2] including the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and the Arafura Sea.[3] It occurs in temperate and tropical waters along the continental shelf and slopes[4] and primarily feeds on teleost fish and squid.[2] It is caught as bycatch in commercial fishing, which has caused populations to decline.[5]
| Japanese spurdog | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Squalidae |
| Genus: | Squalus |
| Species: | S. japonicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Squalus japonicus Ishikawa, 1908 | |
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| Range of the Japanese spurdog (in blue) | |
Description
Distribution and habitat
The Japanese spurdog is found in the Pacific Ocean, in southeast Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan.[5][4] Additionally, there is one record of S. japonicus being caught in a trawl net in the Arafura Sea, between Australia and Western New Guinea.[3] It is a demersal species, found on the continental shelf and upper slope[4] at depths of 52 to 400 m (170.6 to 1312 ft).[5]
Reproduction
Conservation
The Japanese spurdog is listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered.[5] Populations in Japan have been stable since 1983, but shark abundance elsewhere in its range has been in decline since the middle of the twentieth century.[5] It is believed that S. japonicus abundance has declined in those areas as well.[5]
Its major threat is commercial fishing. Though not a commercial product itself, it is caught as bycatch in demersal fishing and used for meat or fish meal.[4]
