Skip to main content
Log in

Reproductive ecology of the Far Eastern catfish, Silurus asotus (Siluridae), with a comparison to its two congeners in Lake Biwa, Japan

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spawning activity of the catfish, Silurus asotus, takes place in temporary water (rice fields) from early evening to midnight, generally in connection with rainfall, from late April to late August. Spawning of the catfish was correlated with hydrographic parameters dependent on rainfall: daily precipitation, turbidity, water depth, and water temperature. The spawning habits of the catfish, and in particular the use of temporary waters such as rice fields that become submerged after rainfall or by irrigation, are presumed to be adaptations to the Asian monsoon climate with a pronounced rainy season. The apparent sex ratio of the catfish was extremely biased toward females. Intraspecific variation in the reproductive ecology, particularly mating behavior, of this species is observed among local populations. Factors that may have caused this variation are discussed in the context of a comparison of mating behavior, reproductive environment, and sex ratio between the Lake Biwa population of S. asotus and other conspecific populations, as well as two other species of silurid catfish that occur in the Lake Biwa drainage, S. biwaensis and S. lithophilus.

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

Access this article

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

  • Ali AB (1993) Aspects of the fecundity of feral catfish, Clarias macrocephalus (Gunther), population obtained from the rice fields used for rice-fish farming, in Malaysia. Hydrobiologia 254:81–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alkins-Koo M (2000) Reproductive timing of fishes in a tropical intermittent stream. Environ Biol Fishes 57:49–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aoyagi H (1957) General notes of the freshwater fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Taisyukan, Tokyo, 272 pp (In Japanese)

  • Burgess WE (1989) An Atlas of freshwater and marine catfishes. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, 784 pp

  • Colin PL, Bell LJ (1991) Aspects of the spawning of labrid and scarid fishes (Pisces: Labroidei) at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Island with notes on other families. Environ Biol Fish 31:229–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conover DO, Heins SW (1987) The environmental and genetic components of sex ratio in Menidia menidia. Copeia 1987:732–743

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emlen ST, Oring LW (1977) Ecology, sexual selection and the evolution of mating systems. Science 197:215–223

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Endler JA, Houde AE (1995) Geographic variation in female choice for male traits in Poecilia reticulata. Evolution 49:456–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirano T (1978) Gonad of fishes, amphibian, and reptiles with circumstance. In: The Zoological Society of Japan (ed) Environment and endocrine phenomena. Center of Science Society Press, Tokyo, pp 113–136 (In Japanese)

  • Huang H, Yue P, Yu X (1982) The freshwater fishes of China in colored illustrations, vol 1. Shanghai Science & Technology Press, Shanghai, 14+169+4 pp (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishihara M (1989) Reproductive strategy of Pomacentrus coelestis. In: Goto A, Maekawa K (eds) Reproductive behavior of fishes. Tokai Univ. Press, Tokyo, pp 129–139 (In Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobling M (1995) Environmental biology of fishes. Chapman & Hall, London, 455 pp

  • Katano O, Saitoh K, Koizumi A (1988) Scatter-spawning of the catfish, Silurus asotus. Jpn J Ichthyol 35:203–211 (In Japanese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawanabe H, Mizuno N, Hosoya K (eds) (2001) Japanese freshwater fishes, 3rd edn. Yama-Kei Publisher, Tokyo, 719 pp (In Japanese)

  • Kobayakawa M (1985) External characteristics of the eggs of Japanese catfishes (Silurus). Jpn J Ichthyol 32:104–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayakawa M (1989a) Far Eastern catfish. In: Kawanabe H, Mizuno N (eds) Japanese freshwater fishes. Yama-Kei Publisher, Tokyo, 719 pp, pp 412–415 (In Japanese)

  • Kobayakawa M (1989b) Systematic revision of the catfish genus Silurus, with description of a new species from Thailand and Burma. Jpn J Ichthyol 36:155–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayakawa M (1990) The orgin of Japanese catfishes (Silurus). Collecting and Breeding 52: 514–518 (In Japanese)

  • Kokita T, Nakazono A (1998) Plasticity in the mating system of the longnose filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris, in relation to mate availability. J Ethol 16:81–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger WH, Oliveira K (1999) Evidence for environmental sex determination in the American eel, Anguilla rostrata. Environ Biol Fishes 55:381–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuwamura T (1997) The evolution of parental care and mating systems among Tanganyikan cichlids. In: Kawanabe H, Hori M, Nagoshi M (eds) Fish communities in Lake Tanganyika. Kyoto University Press, Kyoto, pp 59–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe-McConnell RH (1975) Fish communities in Tropical Freshwaters. Longman, London, 337 pp

  • Lowe-McConnell RH (1987) Ecological studies in tropical fish communities. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 382 pp

  • Maehata M, Nagata Y, Matsuda M, Akiyama H, Tomoda Y (1990) Reproductive behavior of the Biwa-catfish, Parasilurus biwaensis. Jpn J Ichthyol 37:308–313 (In Japanese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maehata M (2001a) Physical factor inducing spawning of the Biwa catfish, Silurus biwaensis. Ichthyol Res 48:137–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maehata M (2001b) Mating behavior of the rock catfish, Silurus lithophilus. Ichthyol Res 48:283–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maehata, M (2001c) Fishes. In: The Shiga Society of Naturalists (ed) Flora and fauna of rural biotopes in Shiga. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, pp 116–129 (In Japanese)

  • Maehata M (2001d) Reproductive ecology of Japanese silurid catfishes and the importance of riparian ecotones as their spawning site. In: Miyamoto S (ed) The 5th anniversary special exhibition of Lake Biwa Museum “Catfish: Fish that Link Lake Biwa and Paddy Fields”. Lake Biwa Museum, Shiga, Japan, pp 107–118 (In Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maehata M (2002a) Features of the reproductive ecology of the rock catfish, Silurus lithophilus. Ichthyol Res 49:109–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maehata M (2002b) Stereotyped sequence of mating behavior of the Far Eastern catfish, Silurus asotus, from Lake Biwa. Ichthyol Res 49:202–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto K, Kohda M (1998) Inter-population variation in the mating system of a substrate-breeding cichlid in Lake Tanganyika. J Ethol 16:123–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyadi D, Kawanabe H, Mizuno N (1983) Colored illustrations of the freshwater fishes of Japan, 8th edn. Hoiku-sha, Osaka, 462 pp (In Japanese)

  • Morioka H (2005) Ajia-Inasaku no Kokyo kara Nippon-Rettou he (to the Japanese Archipelago From the Home of Asian Rice Cultivation). In: Hideto M, Nakazono S, Shitara H (eds) Inasaku Denrai (Introduction of Rice cultivation). Iwanami Syoten, Tokyo, pp 1–36 (In Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura M (1963) Keys to the freshwater fishes of Japan fully illustrated in colors, 8th edn. Hokuryukan, Tokyo, 262 pp (In Japanese)

  • Nakamura M (1969) Studies on the life-history of Cyprinid Fishes of Japan. Research Institute for Natural Resources, Tokyo, 455 pp (In Japanese with English summary)

  • Nelson JF (1994) Fishes of the world, 3rd edn. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 600 pp

  • Nomura M (1964) Effects of environmental factors on sexual maturation. The Aquicult 12:159–196 (In Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Patino R, Davis KB, Schoore JE, Uguz C, Strussmann CA, Parker NC, Simco BA, Goudie CA (1996) Sex differentiation of channel catfish gonads: normal development and effects of temperature. J Exp Zool 276:209–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin DA (1985) Effect of pH on sex ratio in cichlids and apoecichlids (Teleostei). Copeia 1985:233–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tomoda Y (1962) Studies of the fishes of Lake Biwako-I. Morphological study of the three species of catfishes of the genus Parasilurus from Lake Biwa-ko, with reference to their life. Jpn J Ichthyol 8:126–146 (In Japanese with English summary)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomoda Y (1978) Lake Biwa and catfishes. Sekibun-sha, Tokyo, 326 pp (In Japanese)

  • Uchida K (1939) Chosen Gyorui-shi (fishes of Korea). Fishery Station of Chosen, Pusan, 458 pp (In Japanese)

  • Yamanashi Tansuigyo Kenkyukai (1995) Yamanashi no Sakana (freshwater fishes of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan). Yamanashi Nichinichi Shinbun Shuppankyoku, Kofu. 159 pp (In Japanese)

Download references

Acknowledgments

I express my sincere gratitude to M. Hori and K. Watanabe, Kyoto University, for their warm-hearted, generous advice and for their critical reading of the manuscript. Heartfelt thanks are also extended to M.J. Grygier, Lake Biwa Museum, for his kind advice concerning English usage, T. Ohtsuka for his kind advice on statistical methods, and Y. Nagata, Osaka Kyoiku University, T. Nakajima, A. Rossiter, M. Youda, Y. Kusuoka, and K. Nakai, Lake Biwa Museum, for their kind advice on the manuscript. I also thank M. Kobayakawa, Kyushu University, Y. Fujioka, Shiga Prefecture Fishery Department, M. Nakamura, University of the Ryukyus, and H. Akiyama, Lake Biwa Museum, for providing some references, and K. Hashimoto, aquarium keeper of the Shimane Kaiyokan, and S. Seki, T. Nagata, and S. Yoshikawa, aquarium keepers of the Lake Biwa Museum, for their kind help in the field. I am beholden to H. Kawanabe, Director General of the Lake Biwa Museum, for his heartfelt encouragement. Thanks are also due to two anonymous reviewers for their excellent comments which improved the manuscript. Furthermore, I also thank the Shiga Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science and the Hikone Local Weather Agency for providing valuable data. This study is a product of Lake Biwa Museum Cooperative Research Project K−9905, “Study on ecology of fishes that utilize rice fields, and utilization of the fishes by local people”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masayoshi Maehata.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Maehata, M. Reproductive ecology of the Far Eastern catfish, Silurus asotus (Siluridae), with a comparison to its two congeners in Lake Biwa, Japan. Environ Biol Fish 78, 135–146 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9083-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9083-7

Keywords

Navigation