Japanese Topeshark
Hemitriakis japanica
- Endangered
- Card rarity: Epic
- Sharks and rays
Japanese topeshark is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae, endemic to the north-west Pacific Ocean. It occurs from southern Japan to China, including the waters of the Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. The species is demersal on the continental shelf from inshore waters to a depth of about 100 m and is taken as bycatch in a variety of coastal and offshore fisheries. It has been assessed globally as Endangered under the IUCN Red List criteria A2d, based on suspected population reductions driven by intensive fishing pressure across its range and overharvesting for use in Chinese traditional medicine. Common names are Japanese topeshark, Requin-há Dochizame in French, Cazón Japonés in Spanish, and Eirakubuka in Japanese.
Classification
- Class
- Chondrichthyes
- Order
- Carcharhiniformes
- Family
- Triakidae
- Genus
- Hemitriakis