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Occurrence and distribution during the post-settlement stage of two Choerodon species in shallow waters around Ishigaki Island, southern Japan

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Abstract

The recruitment patterns of black-spot tuskfish Choerodon schoenleinii were compared with those of orange-dotted tuskfish (OT) C. ancholago. Individuals at the settlement and juvenile stages were collected using a push net in the intertidal zone and a seine net in seagrass beds. Relative values of standard length to total length (TL) for the two Choerodon species indicated an inflection point at approximately 10–20 mm TL, suggesting that both species complete metamorphosis at a similar size. However, their temporal and spatial occurrence patterns were distinct. Newly settled individuals (postflexion stage) of black-spot tuskfish were collected mainly within foliage of Sargassum plants of the intertidal zone around March–April, while those of OT occurred in both the intertidal zone and seagrass beds mainly in May and June. In seagrass beds, the abundances of both species increased from May or June; however, the TL of black-spot tuskfish was bigger than that of OT. Therefore, black-spot tuskfish progressively migrate to seagrass beds after settling and completing metamorphosis in the intertidal zone, indicating that they utilize two different habitats as nursery grounds. Early spawning and migration from the intertidal zone by this species contributed to the occurrence of relatively large individuals in seagrass beds.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to express appreciation to Dr. K. Tachihara of Ryukyu University and Director K. Kanashiro of the Okinawa Prefectural Sea Farming Center for providing helpful advice about this study. We also thank Dr. H. Shimabukuro and Mr. K. Kishimoto for advice on algal identification, and Dr. K. Yoseda, Dr. K. Okuzawa, and members of the Research Center for Subtropical Fisheries, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, for their support with the research. Valuable comments on the manuscript from Dr. C.P. Norman and anonymous reviewers are much appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Subtropical Fisheries, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, Fukai-Ota, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0451, Japan

    Hideaki Yamada, Atsushi Nanami, Kouki Fukuoka, Taku Sato & Masato Kobayashi

  2. Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries and Ocean Research Center, Nishizaki, Itoman, Okinawa, 901-0305, Japan

    Itaru Ohta

  3. Shibushi Laboratory, National Fisheries Research Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Agency, Shibushi-cho Natsui, Shibushi, Kagoshima, 899-7101, Japan

    Narisato Hirai

  4. Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, Katsurakoi, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0802, Japan

    Masayuki Chimura

  5. Ishigaki Branch, Okinawa Prefectural Fisheries and Ocean Research Center, Kabira, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0453, Japan

    Yuichi Akita

  6. Institute for East China Sea Research, Nagasaki University, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, 851-2213, Japan

    Yuuki Kawabata

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  1. Hideaki Yamada
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  2. Atsushi Nanami
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  3. Itaru Ohta
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Correspondence to Hideaki Yamada.

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Yamada, H., Nanami, A., Ohta, I. et al. Occurrence and distribution during the post-settlement stage of two Choerodon species in shallow waters around Ishigaki Island, southern Japan. Fish Sci 78, 809–818 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0506-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-012-0506-4

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