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Evaluation of the larval distribution and migration of the Japanese eel in the western North Pacific

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Abstract

The distribution of all larval stages of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, were examined using historical catch records and original data in the western North Pacific (WNP) to evaluate existing information about the larval distribution and migration of this species. A total of 148 preleptocephali, 2547 leptocephali, 6 metamorphosing larvae, and 21 glass eels were collected during 37 cruises over a 52-year period (1956–2007). Sampling effort was spatio-temporally biased in latitude/longitude among seasons with sampling effort being concentrated near the western margin of the subtropical gyre near Taiwan in the winter season and extensive effort occurring near the spawning area to the east near the seamount chain of the West Mariana Ridge in summer during the spawning season. The distribution of preleptocephali (4.2–8.7 mm) was limited to a narrow area around 14°N, 142°E just west of the southern part of the seamount chain, while leptocephali (7.7–62.0 mm) were widely distributed at increasing size westward in the North Equatorial Current (NEC) to the region east of Taiwan. Metamorphosing larvae (52.7–61.2 mm) were collected only in the area 21–26°N, 121–129°E to the east of Taiwan, while glass eels (51.3–61.2 mm) occurred only within or west of the Kuroshio. These distributions suggest that leptocephali begin to metamorphose within or just east of the Kuroshio, then after completion of metamorphosis the glass eels detrain from the current and migrate inshore. The relationship between catch date and body size of leptocephali suggested that the spawning season is from April to August, but further sampling is needed to eliminate possible effects of sampling bias. This analysis is consistent with the existing hypothesis that Japanese eel larvae born near the West Mariana Ridge are transported westward in the NEC and then transfer to the Kuroshio to recruit to East Asia, although more sampling effort is needed for later stage larvae in the NEC bifurcation region to help understand the larval migration in relation to the possible impacts of ocean–atmosphere changes.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the efforts of all the scientists and ship crews who surveyed for leptocephali in many regions of the WNP whose catch data has been examined here. We especially thank the many different captains and crews of the R/V Hakuho Maru whose expert help made successful surveys possible over the years. Many scientists and technicians also helped to deploy the nets and sort many plankton samples during these cruises whose names are too many to mention, but this indispensable help and friendship was greatly appreciated. We also thank the many institutions and funding agencies that supported these research efforts and the operations of the many research vessels that made this study possible. The support to K.T. from the Research Foundation Touwa Shokuhin Shinkoukai and the Eel Research Foundation Nobori-kai is also appreciated.

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  1. Akira Shinoda

    Present address: Department of Biology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1, Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan

    Akira Shinoda, Jun Aoyama, Michael J. Miller, Tsuguo Otake, Shun Watanabe, Yuki Minegishi, Kazuki Yokouchi, Nobuto Fukuda, Ryusuke Sudo, Seishi Hagihara, Kei Zenimoto, Machiko Oya, Tadashi Inagaki, Shingo Kimura & Katsumi Tsukamoto

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, East, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Noritaka Mochioka

  3. The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Mari Kuroki

  4. School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, Ofunato, Iwate, 022-0101, Japan

    Tatsuki Yoshinaga

  5. Fisheries Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 2971-4 Bentenjima, Maisaka, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-0214, Japan

    Yuzuru Suzuki

  6. Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1 Orito Shimizu, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 424-8610, Japan

    Atsushi Fukui

  7. Department of Oceanography, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea

    Tae Won Lee

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  1. Akira Shinoda
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Correspondence to Akira Shinoda.

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Shinoda, A., Aoyama, J., Miller, M.J. et al. Evaluation of the larval distribution and migration of the Japanese eel in the western North Pacific. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 21, 591–611 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-010-9195-1

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