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Feeding habits of the mesopelagic fish Sigmops gracilis larvae in the Kuroshio and its adjacent water, southern Japan

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Abstract

We examined the feeding habits of the dominant mesopelagic fish Sigmops gracilis larvae across the Kuroshio Current, southern Japan. The feeding incidence tended to decrease toward the offshore area. Copepods, amphipods, ostracods, and appendicularians were microscopically observed in the guts. Larvae fed substantially on copepods such as calanoids and appendicularians. Appendicularians were more frequently ingested toward the offshore area and were the most preferential prey item in all areas. The microbial production integrated by appendicularians would support mesopelagic fish larvae in addition to the ordinary trophic pathway through copepods.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by 20K06186 (JSPS), grants from the Functional Enhancement Expenses in Kagoshima University Operating Cost (Advanced Research Infrastructure of Biology and Physiology of Eel Species Inhabiting Southern Kyushu, Japan, Taiwan and South East Asia and the Creation of Industry–Academia–Government Network to Induce the Social Implementation of those Research Results) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (The Study of Kuroshio Ecosystem Dynamics for Sustainable Fisheries: JPMXD0511102330).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, 4-50-20 Shimoarata, Kagoshima, 890-0056, Japan

    Shohei Yoshinaga, Toru Kobari, Norika Tanonaka, Kaori Yamanoue & Gen Kume

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  1. Shohei Yoshinaga
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  2. Toru Kobari
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  3. Norika Tanonaka
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  4. Kaori Yamanoue
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  5. Gen Kume
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Correspondence to Gen Kume.

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Yoshinaga, S., Kobari, T., Tanonaka, N. et al. Feeding habits of the mesopelagic fish Sigmops gracilis larvae in the Kuroshio and its adjacent water, southern Japan. Ichthyol Res 68, 171–176 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-020-00760-8

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