Banded houndshark

A small shark that swims near the ocean floor.

Scientific name	Triakis scyllium
English name	Banded houndshark
Japanese name	奴智鮫
Classification	Chondrichthyes
Classification details	Carcharhiniformes Triakidae
Full length	about 1m. Up to 150 cm.
Distribution	Distributed in the Pacific Northwest.

Characteristics

A small shark about 1m in length. The photograph is of juvenile fish taken at Arasaki on the Miura Peninsula.

The back is gray, almost black. Juveniles have a large head compared to the body, resembling a large tadpole. The pectoral fins are blunt and triangular. The upper lobe of the caudal fin is slightly long and stretches upward.

Ecology

Inhabits near the bottom of rocky shallow waters. Sometimes they rest quietly on the seabed. Solitary and feeds on small fish and crustaceans.

Habitat

Miura Peninsula Arasaki

Found swimming alone in Arasaki, Miura Peninsula. It was swimming around within a certain range in the crevices of the rocks. After watching it for a while, it stopped on the seabed and began to rest, so I took a picture. It looked like a big tadpole.