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The relative contribution of Sepioteuthis sp. 1 and Sepioteuthis sp. 2 to oval squid fishery stocks in western Japan was examined using microsatellite DNA and partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I. A total of 1718 Sepioteuthis spp. individuals from 19 populations were identified to determine the proportion of each species in fishery stocks. Samples from Tanegashima and Yakushima Islands in southwestern Japan were also examined to determine depth distributions. DNA was used to refer 233 (17.3 %) individuals to Sepioteuthis sp. 1 and 1421 (82.7 %) individuals to Sepioteuthis sp. 2. Sepioteuthis sp. 1 was found on the Pacific side of mainland Japan, but was predominant in Tanegashima (77.1 %) and Yakushima Islands (100 %), suggesting its distribution was limited by the warmer waters of the Kuroshio Current. In contrast, Sepioteuthis sp. 2 was most commonly found around mainland Japan. Whereas Sepioteuthis sp.1 was caught in 10 to 53 m depth, Sepioteuthis sp. 2 was caught in 2 to 30 m depth. Differences in the spatial and bathymetric distributions of these two species might reflect differences in temperature preference, spawning depth, and migration patterns. Our results would be useful for managing the fishery stocks and spawning grounds of both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, carried out in a paddy fields area in eastern Japan, investigated the timing and patterns of fish movement and assemblage in an artificial wetland and canal. The number of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and Lefua echigonia immigrating and emigrating between the wetland and the canal accounted for 80-90 % of all the sampled fish. M. anguillicaudatus, L. echigonia, Pseudorasbora parva and Rhynchocypris lagowskii were dominant in the wetland. Immigration of mature M. anguillicaudatus and L. echigonia was detected between late winter and spring. The standard length of the two loach species in the wetland was smaller than that in the canal. These results confirm that wetlands play a role in spawning and nursery for the two species of loaches. The standard length of P. parva in the wetland was smaller than in the canal. This suggests that the wetland was a more suitable spawning and nursery area for this fish species than the canal. L. echigonia used the wetland as a spawning and nursery area, but previous studies reported that the loach did not use paddy fields near the wetland. This could be because the paddy fields were irrigated between June and September and this period did not largely overlap with the fish spawning season. Therefore, we conclude that the conservation and restoration of wetlands, where water is present throughout the year, will contribute toward the preservation of the fish population in a paddy fields area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract   Rhinogobius sp. CB is a common amphidromous goby in Japan. I investigated egg and clutch sizes along a river course and within a spawning season in the Aizu River, Kii Peninsula, Japan. Clutch size within the same female size did not differ along the course of the river, but decreased from early to later in the spawning season. Egg size within the same female size decreased from early to later in the spawning season and from the upper to the lower reaches. These results mean energy resources allocated to the ovary decreased seasonally and locally. Several factors are presented to explain these variations, such as female somatic conditions, a tradeoff between reproduction and growth, food availability, water temperature, and presence of competitive species. Some factors explaining the seasonal and local variations in egg size, such as water temperature and food availability for offspring, are also presented. Egg size correlated well with female size. The trend in egg size variation with female size seems to be an adaptation for their migrating pattern, as larvae from larger female, which tended to inhabit the upper reaches, would have a greater endurance against starvation during their migration to the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Timing and duration of herring coastal spawning migration differ by fish age and size. • Older fish spawn earlier and remain in frozen surface Akkeshi Lake waters. • Younger fish swim shallower than older fish through the day and night. • Different fish ages and length may lead to variable risk and cost in migration. Timing and duration of spawning migration of Pacific herring is known to vary by fish age and length. Older fish mature earlier, but there are few verified examples of differences in the pre-spawning migration of individuals varying in age or size. Here we use sonic tagging to examine the fluctuations in age, fish length and maturity throughout the migration of herring in Akkeshi, Japan. We tracked the horizontal and vertical movement of individual fish using acoustic telemetry and biologging methodology. In Akkeshi Lake, older, larger individuals migrated early, reached peak maturity and remained in the lake until early April, after spawning. The timing and duration of the stay in Akkeshi Lake coincided with the freezing and melting of the surface layer of the lake. Fish tracking indicated no differences in herring in different length classes migrated to and from Akkeshi Lake and offshore and stayed in Akkeshi Bay. For the vertical movement, larger, older herring occupied a wide depth range during diurnal vertical movements as they moved to Akkeshi Lake and to offshore. In contrast, the smaller group occurred frequently in depths shallower than 5 m throughout the day and night. Greater depth variation could result in beneficial effects in predator avoidance and increased prey encounter opportunities though vertical migration. In contrast, smaller herring that were more confined to surface waters could experience more frequent sensing of the environmental cues of spawning grounds such as low-salinity water and olfactory stimulation near the surface. Therefore, there are differences in the benefits and risks during migration for each fish length, which may result in superior spawning grounds and individual mortality in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]