Japanese Angelshark

fieldmarks: An angelshark with simple, spatulate nasal barbels and weakly fringed or smooth anterior nasal flaps, dermal flaps on sides of head without angular lobes, large eyes with interspace between them and spiracles less than 1.5 times eye diameter, fairly broad and posteriorly rounded pectoral fins, and no ocelli on body. Trunk moderately narrow. Anterior nasal barbels simple and with a narrow, spatulate tip; posterior margin of anterior nasal flaps between nasal barbels and tips weakly fringed or smooth; distance from eye to spiracle less than 1.5 times eye diameter; dermal folds on sides of head without triangular lobes. Pectoral fins rather broad and high, with rounded free rear tips. Moderately large spines present on midline of back and tail from head to dorsal fins and between the fin bases, and on snout and above eyes. No ocelli on body.

Western North Pacific: Southeastern Sea of Japan to Yellow Sea, Japan, the Koreas, northern China, ?the Philippines.

Maximum total length to 2 m long.

A little-known angelshark of temperate. western North Pacific waters, found on or near the bottom.

Details of fisheries off China, Japan and the Republic of Korea sketchy but apparently taken in large numbers off China. Used for human consumption and for preparation of shagreen for polishing and finishing woodworks.