Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal dynamics of fish assemblage structures in a surf zone on an exposed sandy beach in Japan

  • FULL PAPER
  • Published:
Ichthyological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seasonal dynamics in fish assemblage structure, comprising postlarval to early adult stages, in the surf zone on an exposed sandy beach on the Kashimanada coast were studied over a 2-year period. A total of 32 species and two higher group taxa were found. In terms of abundance, Salangichthys ishikawae, Mugil cephalus cephalus, Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis, and Engraulis japonicus were the four most dominant species. The results of cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis using 12 dominant species in terms of abundance revealed that water temperature and wind factor (wind speed × wind direction) had significant independent associations on species occurrence patterns for 11 species; that is, occurrence of 11 species was significantly related to water temperature and occurrence of 7 species was related to wind factor. Two species (S. ishikawae and P. altivelis altivelis) showed clear monthly increases in size, consequently suggesting their use of the surf zone as a nursery area. In contrast, M. cephalus cephalus and E. japonicus showed few increases in standard length, indicating their use of the surf zone only in their postlarval and/or juvenile stage. It is suggested that numerous fish species use the surf zone as shelter and/or a nursery area, even in the harsh conditions of an exposed sandy beach with great wave action.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • K Arayama H Imai K Kanou H Kohno (2002) ArticleTitleIchthyofauna of surf zones in the outer Tokyo Bay La Mer 40 59–70

    Google Scholar 

  • K Arayama H Imai H Kohno K Fujita (2003) ArticleTitleEarly life history of Japanese Sillago japonica occurring in the surf zone of sandy beaches, Tateyama Bay, central Japan Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 69 359–367

    Google Scholar 

  • SG Ayvazian GA Hyndes (1995) ArticleTitleSurf zone fish assemblages in south-western Australia: do adjacent nearshore habitats and the warm Leeuwin Current influence the characteristics of the fish fauna? Mar Biol 122 527–536 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00350675

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Beyst K Hostens J Mees (2001) ArticleTitleFactors influencing fish and macrocrustacean communities in the surf zone of sandy beaches in Belgium: temporal variation J Sea Res 46 281–294 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1385-1101(01)00087-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Beyst K Hostens J Mees (2002) ArticleTitleFactors influencing the spatial variation in fish and macrocrustacean communities in the surf zone of sandy beaches in Belgium J Mar Biol Assoc UK 82 181–187 Occurrence Handle10.1017/S0025315402005337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • AC Brown A McLachlan (1990) Ecology of sandy shores Elsevier Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • BM Clark (1997) ArticleTitleVariation in surf zone fish community structure across a wave-exposure gradient Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 44 659–674 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ecss.1996.0151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BM Clark BA Bennett SJ Lamberrth (1996) ArticleTitleFactors affecting spatial variability in seine net catches of fish in the surf zone of False Bay, South Africa Mar Ecol Prog Ser 131 17–34

    Google Scholar 

  • KR Clarke (1993) ArticleTitleNon-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure Aust J Ecol 18 117–143 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1442-9993.1993.tb00438.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KR Clarke RM Warwick (1994) Changes in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation Plymouth Marine Laboratory Plymouth

    Google Scholar 

  • RN Gibson AD Ansell L Robb (1993) ArticleTitleSeasonal and annual variations in abundance and species composition of fish and macrocrustacean communities on a Scottish sandy beach Mar Ecol Prog Ser 98 89–105

    Google Scholar 

  • RN Gibson L Robb MT Burrows AD Ansell (1996) ArticleTitleTidal, diel and longer term changes in the distribution of fishes on a Scottish sandy beach Mar Ecol Prog Ser 130 1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • M Gomyoh Y Suda M Nakagawa T Otsuki J Higano K Adachi K Kimoto (1994) ArticleTitleA study of sandy beach surf zone as nursery grounds for marine organisms Proc Int Conf Hydro-Tech Eng Port Harbor Construct 2 977–986

    Google Scholar 

  • SA Harris DP Cyrus (1996) ArticleTitleLarval and juvenile fishes in the surf zone adjacent to the St. Lucia estuary mouth, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Mar Freshw Res 47 465–482 Occurrence Handle10.1071/MF9960465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higano J (2003) A study about the ecology and the distribution of sandy beach clams. PhD thesis, University of Tokyo, Tokyo

  • T Inoue Y Suda M Sano (2005) ArticleTitleFood habits of fishes in the surf zone of a sandy beach at Sanrimatsubara, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Ichthyol Res 52 9–14 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s10228-004-0246-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • I Kinoshita (1993) ArticleTitleEcological study on larvae and juveniles of sparine fishes occurring in surf zones of sandy beaches Bull Mar Sci Fish Kochi Univ 13 21–99

    Google Scholar 

  • TA Lasiak (1981) ArticleTitleNursery grounds of juvenile teleosts: evidence from the surf zone of King's Beach, Port Elizabeth S Afr J Sci 77 388–390

    Google Scholar 

  • TA Lasiak (1984) ArticleTitleStructural aspects of the surf zone fish assemblage at King's Beach, Algoa Bay, South Africa: long-term fluctuations Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 18 459–483 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0272-7714(84)90084-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TA Lasiak (1986) ArticleTitleJuveniles, food and the surf-zone habitat: implications for teleost nursery areas S Afr J Sci 21 51–56

    Google Scholar 

  • CA Layman (2000) ArticleTitleFish assemblage structure of the shallow ocean surf zone on the eastern shore of Virginia Barrier Islands Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 51 201–213 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ecss.2000.0636

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MA Lazzari S Sherman CS Brown J King BJ Joule SB Chenoweth RW Langton (1999) ArticleTitleSeasonal and annual variations in abundance and species composition of two nearshore fish communities in Maine Estuaries 22 636–647 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1353051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K Mabuchi T Nakabo (1997) ArticleTitleRevision of the genus Pseudolabrus (Labridae) from the East Asian waters Ichthyol Res 44 321–334 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF02671984

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S Mariani (2001) ArticleTitleCan spatial distribution of ichthyofauna describe marine influence on coastal lagoons? A central Mediterranean case study Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 52 261–267 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ecss.2000.0746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G Masselink I Turner (1999) The effects of tides on beach morphodynamics AD Short (Eds) Handbook of beach and shoreface morphodynamics Wiley West Sussex 204–229

    Google Scholar 

  • T Modde ST Ross (1981) ArticleTitleSeasonality of fishes occupying a surf zone habitat in the northern Gulf of Mexico Fish Bull 78 911–922

    Google Scholar 

  • M Okiyama (1988) An atlas of the early stage fishes in Japan Tokai University Press Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • IC Potter DJ Bird PN Claridge KR Clarke GA Hyndes LC Newton (2001) ArticleTitleFish fauna of the Seven Estuary. Are there long-term changes in abundance and species composition and are the recruitment patterns of the main species correlated? J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 258 15–37 Occurrence Handle11239623 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0022-0981(00)00343-9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • JA Reina-Hervas P Serrano (1987) ArticleTitleStructural and seasonal variations in inshore fish populations in Malaga Bay, southeastern Spain Mar Biol 95 501–508 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00393093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T Saruwatari (1995) ArticleTitleTemporal utilization of a brackish water lake, Lake Hinuma, as a nursery ground by amphidromous ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis (Plecoglossidae) larvae Environ Biol Fishes 43 371–380 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00001172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T Senta I Kinoshita (1985) ArticleTitleLarval and juvenile fishes occurring in surf zones of western Japan Trans Am Fish Soc 114 609–618 Occurrence Handle10.1577/1548-8659(1985)114<609:LAJFOI>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Y Suda T Inoue H Uchida (2002) ArticleTitleFish communities in the surf zone of a protected sandy beach at Doigahama, Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 55 81–96 Occurrence Handle10.1006/ecss.2001.0888

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • I Takahashi I Kinoshita K Azuma S Fujita M Tanaka (1990) ArticleTitleLarval ayu Plecoglossus altivelis occurring in the Shimanto Estuary Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 56 871–878

    Google Scholar 

  • A Takeuchi (1974) ArticleTitleStudies of the icefish in Fukushima Prefecture. II. Spawning season of Salangichthys ishikawai Wakiya et Takahashi Bull Fukushima Pref Fish Exp Sta 2 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • K Tsukamoto K Mochizaki T Otake Y Yamazaki (1989) ArticleTitleDistribution, migration and growth of ayu larvae at the mouth of River Kumono Fish Eng 25 47–57 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00002200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CJF ter Braak (1986) ArticleTitleCanonical correspondence analysis: a new eigenvector method for multivariate direct gradient analysis Ecology 67 1167–1179 Occurrence Handle10.2307/1938672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CJF ter Braak P Smilauer (1998) CANOCO reference manual and user's guide to Canoco for Winds: software for canonical community ordination, ver 4 Microcomputer Power Ithaca, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • DH Wilber DG Clarke MH Burlas H Ruben RJ Will (2003) ArticleTitleSpatial and temporal variability in surf zone fish assemblages on the coast of northern New Jersey Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 56 291–304 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0272-7714(02)00163-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Atsushi Nanami

    Present address: Ishigaki Tropical Station, Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, 148-446 Fukai-Ota, Ishigaki, Okinawa, 907-0451, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering, Fisheries Research Agency, Hasaki, Kamisu, Ibaraki, 314-0408, Japan

    Atsushi Nanami

  2. International Meteorological and Oceanographic Consultants Corporation, Kawaguchi, Choshi, Chiba, 288-0001, Japan

    Takao Endo

Authors
  1. Atsushi Nanami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takao Endo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Atsushi Nanami.

About this article

Cite this article

Nanami, A., Endo, T. Seasonal dynamics of fish assemblage structures in a surf zone on an exposed sandy beach in Japan. Ichthyol Res 54, 277–286 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-007-0402-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-007-0402-6

Key words

Search

Navigation