Born in the aquarium! Exhibiting two-year-old Japanese sawshark

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is happy to announce the exhibition of three two-year-old Japanese sawsharks to live with the 5-year-old Japanese sawsharks that were previously born at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

ノコギリザメ
Left side：2 years old　　Middle：Parent　　Right side：5 years old

≪Japanese sawshark≫
Scientific name：Pristiophorus japonicas

Distributed from Hokkaido to Okinawa, the Japanese sawshark inhabits the sandy and muddy bottoms of coastal and deep-sea waters. It has a distinctive long pointy snout with jagged teeth that looks like a saw. It feeds on crustaceans near to the bottom of the sea floor, and in the tank, it pins down its prey with its snout as it consumes its food. The sawshark is viviparous which means it births live young rather than eggs, and can give birth from 12 to 17 offspring at one time.

Place of exhibit

Deep Sea in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Exhibit starts from

From Wednesday May 1st, 2019
※Exhibit may close depending on the condition of the animal.

Size of Exhibit

2 years old（Born June, 2017）：Three individuals、About 70cm
5 years old（Bone May, 2014）：Five individuals、About 100cm

In 2014, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium succeeded in the world’s first captive reproduction of the Japanese sawshark. At birth, the pups were 36 cm in length. After 5 years, they have reached 100 cm, nearly the same size as their father. In 2017, the mother of the 2014 pups, gave birth a second time. The 2017 pups are now two years old and have grown to around 70 cm in length. This detailed data about their growth can only be provided by rearing. Through continued rearing, we hope to contribute and shed light on the reproduction and ecology of Japanese sawsharks. Please take this opportunity to see the young pups, as well as their parents and older siblings all living together.