Larval and juvenile fishes collected in the surf zones of Hiuchi-nada, the central Seto Inland Sea, Japan

摘要

A total of 9521 larval and juvenile fishes belonging to more than 38 species in 24 families were caught by monthly collections with a small triangle net at ten beaches of Hiuchi-nada, the central Seto Inland Sea, from Mar. 1996 to Feb. 1997. The mean water temperature and salinity varied being 8.7-31.1 deg C and 30.0-32.6, respectively. The ichthyofauna was most abundant in Jun. and diverse in Jul. Two gobiid species, Gymnogobius castaneus and Chaenogobius annularis, appeared as the most dominant species, contributing 44.3 and 35.9 percent of the total number of fishes, followed by Konosirus punktatus, Acanthopagrus schlegelii, Chaenogobius gulosus, and Takifugu niphobles. The most dominant species in each month was as follows: Mar., Lateolabrax japonicus; Apr. and Jun., Chaenogobius annularis; May, Gymnogobius castaneus; Jul., Acanthopagrus schlegelii; Aug., Hypoatherina valenciennei; Sep., Rhyncopelates oxyrhynchus; Oct., Gobiidae spp.; Nov. to Feb., Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis. Compared with the ichthyofauna of the other known surf zones in western Japan, that of Hiuchi-nada was poor both in diversity and abundance from autumn to winter and characterized by abundance of Gobiidae fishes.