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Reproductive ecology, age, and growth of the Kidako moray Gymnothorax kidako from Tateyama Bay, Chiba, Japan

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Abstract

An ecological study of the Kidako moray Gymnothorax kidako (Anguilliformes, Muraenidae) was conducted at Tateyama Bay, Chiba, Japan. Although this species is common along temperate coasts and is distributed as a food in local cities of southern Japan, its reproductive ecology, age structure, and growth rates are unknown. Specimens (in total, 93 males and 117 females) were collected monthly from January to December 2015, and in May 2022. There was no significant difference between the total length of males and females. Throughout the year, the male gonadosomatic index was relatively constant, and sperm was detected. The female gonadosomatic index was especially high and tertiary vitellogenic oocytes were observed in the ovary from July to August. A female with a swollen abdomen full of ovulated oocytes was collected in August. Results indicate that spawning in G. kidako at Tateyama occurs from July to August. Age was estimated from increment analysis of the right sagittal otolith, on which a single annulus forms between July and August. On the basis of otolith-increment counts, 58 males and 83 females were aged 3–34 years. The von Bertalanffy growth formula indicated that males and females grow rapidly over the first 10 years, after which growth slowed for both sexes, but males continued to grow at a greater rate than females.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to S. Shimizu, S. Ishibashi, H. Narita, S. Narita, S. Watanabe, T. Kosaka, Y. Kobayashi, G. Kume, and members of the Laboratory of Fish Behavioral Ecology for their assistance during this study. We also thank S. O’Shea of Edanz (https://jp.edanz.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript. This study was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grants to T. Sunobe (no. 16K07507) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan

    Naoya Oomori & Katsuyuki Hamasaki

  2. Laboratory of Fish Behavioral Ecology, Tateyama Station, Field Science Center, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Banda, Tateyama, Chiba, 294-0308, Japan

    Tomoki Sunobe

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  1. Naoya Oomori
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  2. Katsuyuki Hamasaki
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  3. Tomoki Sunobe
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Correspondence to Tomoki Sunobe.

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The experimental protocol in this study was approved by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology where the research was conducted, and all procedures were carried out in accordance with approved guidelines.

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Oomori, N., Hamasaki, K. & Sunobe, T. Reproductive ecology, age, and growth of the Kidako moray Gymnothorax kidako from Tateyama Bay, Chiba, Japan. Ichthyol Res 70, 439–445 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-022-00902-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-022-00902-0

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