Isonade
Location: Off the coast of western Japan.
Time: First account published in a Japanese bestiary around 1841.
One feature of mythical creatures and cryptids, is that occasionally the folklore of a particular monster has its roots in reality, and even may have its basis in an already known animal. This explanation may be disappointing to some, but it goes to show that many myths have a grain of truth.
The isonade of Japanese tradition may be one of these, a giant shark-like fish that kills sailors and beach-goers with its enormous, barbed tail fin. Indeed, according to legend usually its tail is the only part of it that is seen, the attacks with swipes of the tail had earned its name, which translates to “beach-stroker”. People who had disappeared overboard at sea, or had vanished from the seashore, were said to have been killed by the beach-stroker. It has been speculated by cryptozoologists and folklorists that this monster was initially inspired by attacks or accidents involving thresher sharks (Alopias genus), there are supposed cases of people being injured by the long tail of this shark. Even regardless of actual confirmed attacks, the thresher shark does seem like a good candidate to have inspired the isonade.
The iconography of this mythical fish in Japanese bestiaries seems visually different from the thresher shark itself, and some features, such as barb-like scales, are not present in thresher sharks at all. A speculative isonade would adhere more closely to the myths, being an aggressive, dangerous shark of considerable size. So, the Isonade (Echinocaudus nipponicus) is an impressive and unusual-looking shark of Japanese and Korean waters, notable for its thorny-looking barb-like scales and massive sweeping tail. Related to the nurse shark (Ginglymostomatidae), and distinctive in this family as having adapted to a more athletic, open-water lifestyle. It grows to an impressive size, with the largest individuals being 7 meters long. They feed mainly on fair-sized fish and squid, as well as jellyfish, salps and crustaceans; prey is captured partly by suction, and seized with the many small, hook-like teeth that line the jaws. Adults have no fixed territory, but are intolerant of others of their kind and indeed of most other large sea creatures. Interlopers are commonly driven off by swiping attacks of this shark’s broad tail, and often it will mistake boats for intruders and attack. As a result, it has a fierce reputation; many fishermen or boat operators have been knocked overboard and killed by this belligerent shark. The barb-like scales which cover its body and tail may be partially for defence from larger predators such as other sharks, sperm whales and killer whales, this may also explain why it so violently repels any large sea creature it comes across, including potential predators. Females are tolerated when breeding, this shark is ovoviparous, litters of 10 to 20 pups are born well developed and independent.
Location: Off the coast of western Japan.
Time: First account published in a Japanese bestiary around 1841.
One feature of mythical creatures and cryptids, is that occasionally the folklore of a particular monster has its roots in reality, and even may have its basis in an already known animal. This explanation may be disappointing to some, but it goes to show that many myths have a grain of truth.
The isonade of Japanese tradition may be one of these, a giant shark-like fish that kills sailors and beach-goers with its enormous, barbed tail fin. Indeed, according to legend usually its tail is the only part of it that is seen, the attacks with swipes of the tail had earned its name, which translates to “beach-stroker”. People who had disappeared overboard at sea, or had vanished from the seashore, were said to have been killed by the beach-stroker. It has been speculated by cryptozoologists and folklorists that this monster was initially inspired by attacks or accidents involving thresher sharks (Alopias genus), there are supposed cases of people being injured by the long tail of this shark. Even regardless of actual confirmed attacks, the thresher shark does seem like a good candidate to have inspired the isonade.
The iconography of this mythical fish in Japanese bestiaries seems visually different from the thresher shark itself, and some features, such as barb-like scales, are not present in thresher sharks at all. A speculative isonade would adhere more closely to the myths, being an aggressive, dangerous shark of considerable size. So, the Isonade (Echinocaudus nipponicus) is an impressive and unusual-looking shark of Japanese and Korean waters, notable for its thorny-looking barb-like scales and massive sweeping tail. Related to the nurse shark (Ginglymostomatidae), and distinctive in this family as having adapted to a more athletic, open-water lifestyle. It grows to an impressive size, with the largest individuals being 7 meters long. They feed mainly on fair-sized fish and squid, as well as jellyfish, salps and crustaceans; prey is captured partly by suction, and seized with the many small, hook-like teeth that line the jaws. Adults have no fixed territory, but are intolerant of others of their kind and indeed of most other large sea creatures. Interlopers are commonly driven off by swiping attacks of this shark’s broad tail, and often it will mistake boats for intruders and attack. As a result, it has a fierce reputation; many fishermen or boat operators have been knocked overboard and killed by this belligerent shark. The barb-like scales which cover its body and tail may be partially for defence from larger predators such as other sharks, sperm whales and killer whales, this may also explain why it so violently repels any large sea creature it comes across, including potential predators. Females are tolerated when breeding, this shark is ovoviparous, litters of 10 to 20 pups are born well developed and independent.