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Orectolobus japonicus Regan, 1906

Japanese wobbegong
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Orectolobus japonicus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Orectolobus japonicus (Japanese wobbegong)
Orectolobus japonicus
Picture by Murch, A.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) > Orectolobidae (Carpet or nurse sharks)
Etymology: Orectolobus: orektos (Gr.), stretched out; lobus (L.), from lobos (Gr.), rounded projection or protuberance, referring to long nasal barbels of Squalus barbatus (=O. maculatus) (See ETYFish)japonicus: -icus (L.), belonging to: Japan, described from two specimens, both from Japan (See ETYFish).
More on author: Regan.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 106604). Tropical; 43°N - 6°N, 103°E - 140°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Pacific: Japan and Korea to Viet Nam.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 103 - ? cm
Max length : 118 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 106604)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Five to six dermal flaps below and in front of eyes; back with light areas between dark saddles marked with broad reticulated dark lines (Ref. 13577). Caudal fin with its upper lobe hardly elevated above the body axis, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe (Ref. 13577).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A little-known bottom shark found inshore (Ref. 247); usually in sand or sandy mud bottoms (Ref. 11230); also on rocky and coral reefs (Ref. 43278). Nocturnal in habits (Ref. 247). Feeds on fish and presumably bottom invertebrates (Ref. 247), including lizardfishes, cutlassfish, horse mackerel and other jacks, goatfishes, groupers, tilefishes, sea robins, whiting, parrotfishes, sea bream, croakers, also skates, shark egg cases, cephalopods, and shrimp (Ref. 43278). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 43278, 50449), with up to 20 young in a litter (Ref. 247). Wobbegongs should be regarded as potentially dangerous because of its formidable dentition (Ref. 247, 13577). Used for human consumption (Ref. 247). Kept in aquaria in Japan and the United States (Ref. 43278).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). With up to 20 young in a litter (Ref. 247).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO. (Ref. 247)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 06 May 2020

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic (Ref. 247)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO - Fisheries: species profile; Publication: search | FishSource |

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