Japanese sea lion
Japanese sea lion | |
---|---|
Zalophus japonicus at Liancourt Rocks in 1934 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Clade: | Pinnipedia |
Family: | Otariidae |
Genus: | Zalophus |
Species: | †Z. japonicus
|
Binomial name | |
†Zalophus japonicus (
Peters , 1866) | |
Synonyms[2] | |
|
The Japanese sea lion (Zalophus japonicus) (
Taxonomy
Prior to 2003, it was considered to be a
Several taxidermied specimens can be found in Japan
Description
Male Japanese sea lions were dark grey, reaching lengths of 2.3 to 2.5 metres (7.5 to 8.2 ft) and weighed about 450 to 560 kilograms (990 to 1,230 lb). Females were significantly smaller at 1.64 to 1.8 metres (5.4 to 5.9 ft) long and weighed about 120 kilograms (260 lb) with a lighter grey colour than the males.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Japanese sea lions were found along the northwest Pacific coastline, specifically in Japan, Korea, southern
Old Korean accounts also describe that the sea lion and
They usually resided on flat, open, and sandy beaches, but rarely in rocky areas. Their preference was to rest in caves.[13]
Exploitation and extinction
Many bones of the Japanese sea lion have been excavated from
Harvest records from Japanese commercial fishermen in the early 1900s show that as many as 3,200 sea lions were harvested at the turn of the century, and overhunting caused harvest numbers to fall drastically to 300 sea lions by 1915 and to a few dozen sea lions by the 1930s. Japanese commercial harvest of Japanese sea lions ended in the 1940s when the species became virtually extinct.[18] In total, Japanese trawlers harvested as many as 16,500 sea lions, enough to cause their extinction. Submarine warfare during World War II is even believed to have contributed to their habitat destruction.[19][20] The most recent sightings of Z. japonicus are from the 1970s, with the last confirmed record being a juvenile specimen captured in 1974 off the coast of Rebun Island, northern Hokkaido. There were a few unconfirmed sightings in 1983 and 1985.[7][19][21] The last credible documentation was made in 1951 on the Liancourt Rocks reporting 50 to 60 animals. In any case, it was one of the most recent marine mammal extinctions to occur, alongside the Caribbean monk seal which went extinct at around the same time.[22]
Attempted rewilding
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Occurrences after 2010 are not verified in any of the currently cited sources.(January 2020) |
In 2007, the
Post-extinction claimed sightings or vagrant records
Sightings of single sea lions of unclear identities have been reported at Iwami, Tottori in July 2003,[25] and on Koshikijima Islands in March, 2016.[26][27] Both animals were positively identified as Otariidae based on photographs, but their identities are unclear.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ "울릉도에 강치 서식…현대과학으로 입증". 29 November 2020.
- S2CID 10824601.
- Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, Japan.
- ^ ニホンアシカ剥製標本 (in Japanese). Shimane University Museum. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
- ^ a b "アザラシ目 アシカ科 絶滅危惧IA類(CR) (CR)" (in Japanese). Japan Integrated Biodiversity Information System. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
The Japanese sea lion (Zalophus californianus japonicus) was common in the past around the coast of the Japanese Archipelago, but declined rapidly after the 1930s from overhunting and increased competition with commercial fisheries. The last record in Japan was a juvenile, captured in 1974 off the coast of Rebun Island, northern Hokkaido.
- ISBN 978-1-891276-03-3.
- ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9.
- ISSN 1341-8777.
- S2CID 131284557.
- S2CID 201282948.
- ^ (in Japanese) Zalophus californianus japonicus (EX) Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, Shimane Red Data Book 2004, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
- ^ The Jomon people in the northern Island Archived 2007-10-26 at the Wayback Machine, National Museum of Japanese History.
- ^ The Sannai Maruyama Site-Food Archived 2006-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, p. 7.
- ISSN 0287-3850
- ^ Terajima Ryōan, Wakan Sansai Zue (ca. 1712), vol. 38, Amimals, p. 72, sea lion and fur seal[1] "其肉亦不甘美 唯熬油為燈油 (the meat is not tasty and just used to render oil for oil lamps.)".
- ^ 일본어부에 의해 멸종당한 독도 강치 (in Korean). Dokdocenter.org. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
- ^ a b c 독도에 바다사자 복원한다 (in Korean). The Kukmin Daily archived by Korea Coast Guard. 2006-02-02. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ a b "Extinct Sea Lions to Bring Back to Korea". The Korea Times. 2007-09-05. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-12.
- ^ "Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals" (second ed.). Academic Press 2008. 2008. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
- ISBN 978-1-55963-974-3.
- ^ Zalophus japonicus. The Extinction Website
- South Korean Ministry of Environment, 2006-01-09.[dead link]
- ^ 鳥取県岩美町でアシカ?目視
- ^ "<1889>鹿児島県薩摩川内市で種不明アシカ出現". Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ 【動画】どこから来た?鹿児島近海でアシカ発見
External links
- Data related to Japanese sea lions at Wikispecies
- Media related to Japanese sea lions at Wikimedia Commons