The Japanese sea lion (Zalophus japonicus) is thought to have become extinct in the 1970s.
Prior to 2003 it was considered to be a subspecies of California sea lion as Zalophus californianus japonicus. However, it was subsequently reclassified as a separate species. Some taxonomists still consider it as a subspecies of the California sea lion. It has been argued that japonicus, californianus, and wollenbaeki are distinct species because of their distant habitation areas and behavioral differences.
They inhabited the Sea of Japan, especially around the coastal areas of the Japanese Archipelago and the Korean Peninsula. They generally bred on sandy beaches which were open and flat, but sometimes in rocky areas.
Currently, several stuffed specimens can be found in Japan and the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, the Netherlands, bought by Philipp Franz von Siebold. The British Museum possesses a pelt and 4 skull specimens.
Read more about Japanese Sea Lion: Physical Description, Range and Habitat, Lifestyle and Reproduction, Human Uses, Extinction, Population Revival Efforts
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... an effort to search for and reintroduce sea lions to their native habitat in the Sea of Japan ... and Russian waters will be searched for surviving sea lion populations, with hopes of reintroducing the animal to their native habitat ... If the animal cannot be found, the South Korean government plans to relocate California sea lions from the United States ...
... The California sea lion was described by René Primevère Lesson, a French naturalist, in 1828 ... It is grouped with other sea lions and fur seals in the family Otariidae ... Along with the Galapagos sea lion and the extinct Japanese sea lion, the California sea lion belongs to the genus Zalophus, which derives from the Greek words ...
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