A New Female Has Arrived in an Effort to Breed the Japanese Sawshark!

Recently, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium brought in a female Japanese sawshark in an effort to breed the species. As the condition of the female sawshark has stabilized, it can now be seen in the Deep Sea tank. 
This individual was collected in March 2026, during deep-sea bottom trawling at a depth of 300 meters, off the west coast of the Izu Peninsula. With cooperation from the Hinode Maru crew at Heda Fishing Port, Numazu City, they aided in the collection and transport, then sent the sawshark by land and plane. It took about 15 hours to reach our facility. 
After transport to our aquarium, Kamogawa Sea World, which has extensive experience in animal husbandry of sawsharks, provided advice on a feeding routine. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium’s aquarists conducted health observations including ultrasound imaging, reviewed diet and feeding patterns, and carefully observed the sawshark’s breathing and excretions. It took about four months for the sawshark to become accustomed to its feeding routine. It is currently living well in the tank environment.
 

• 

  Being loaded on an aircraft

• 

  Health checkups using an ultrasound imaging device

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was the world’s first facility to successfully breed the Japanese sawshark. The aquarium currently houses two males bred in 2014 and 2017. Their four parents, two males (arrived in 2010) and two females (arrived in 2011), also live here. Both offspring reached sexual maturity at age four. The additional female is now in the tank, and the aquarium hopes she will breed with the males in the future. 

This exhibit was made possible with the help and cooperation of the Hinode Maru crew at Heda Fishing Port, Numazu City, and the aquarists at Kamogawa Sea World, who provided information on the feeding routine. We deeply express our gratitude. We will continue to carefully monitor the sawshark’s health and work toward breeding.

Scientific name：Pristiophorus japonicus
English name：Japanese sawshark
 

Distributed from Hokkaido to the Okinawa Islands, the Japanese sawshark inhabits sandy, muddy bottoms in coastal waters. It is characterized by a long, protruding snout with saw-like rostral teeth, and a pair of long barbels protruding from the center of the snout. 
They eat small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, and are observed in the tank catching and eating their prey by holding the prey down with their long snout. Through our facilities’ research, we have confirmed that they inhabit depths from 200 to 300 meters around the Okinawa Islands. 
※Note: The exhibit may change or close without prior notice depending on the health condition of the animals. 

※Exhibit may close depending on the condition of the animals.