At the 'Aqua Museum' aquarium within 'Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise,' we are exhibiting a Sarawak swellshark egg laid on Sunday, June 7, 2026. This marks the first time this species has laid eggs at our facility.
The most distinctive feature of this shark is its ability to lay eggs with a beautifully transparent shell, resembling delicate glasswork. Through the clear casing, visitors can directly observe the baby shark (embryo) gradually growing inside the egg.
This rare egg is currently on display at LABO8, 'The King of the Sea Sharks — Discovering the World of Sharks with All Five Senses,' located on the 3rd floor of the Aqua Museum. We invite you to witness the pulsing heartbeat of life within the egg and observe its daily growth.
Our animal care team will continue to monitor the egg closely, hoping this exceptionally rare deep-sea shark egg will successfully hatch.
About the Sarawak Swellshark
The Sarawak swellshark is a member of the catshark family found in the western Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea, Malaysia, and Taiwan. It primarily inhabits the seabed at depths of around 100 to 200 meters. The shark earned its name from its unique defensive behavior of swallowing water or air to inflate its stomach when threatened.
Among its relatives in the swellshark group, it is relatively small, reaching a maximum length of about 40 cm even when fully grown.
While it is believed that the transparent eggshell helps camouflage the egg against its surroundings to evade predators, the species' full ecology remains largely unknown.
<About the Sarawak Swellshark Egg>
Egg-laying confirmed: June 7, 2026 (Sunday) ※ Exact time unknown
Exhibition location: LABO8, 3rd floor of Aqua Museum, 'The King of the Sea Sharks — Discovering the World of Sharks with All Five Senses'
Size: Approximately 7 cm in length ※ Measured by the long axis of the egg case
<Sarawak Swellshark> English name: Sarawak swellshark Scientific name: Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis Distribution: Deep waters of the western Pacific (South China Sea, around Taiwan, Malaysia, etc.) Habitat: Seabed at depths of approximately 100–200 meters
FACT BOX
- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: Event