Abstract
The reproductive ecology of two endangered subspecies of the bitterling Rhodeus atremius was investigated in two rivers in Okayama and Fukuoka Prefectures, Japan. Several other bitterling species, R. ocellatus, Tanakia limbata, T. lanceolata, Acheilognathus tabira and A. rhombeus, are also found in these rivers. Spawning of both R. atremius subspecies was recorded between late March and August 2007, peaking between April and July. Females of R. atremius began to mature at small body size (minimum 25 mm). They had small clutch sizes (maximum 16 eggs) and developed a short ovipositor (mean 13.6 mm), which was used to deposit a bulb-shaped egg of comparatively large size (3.2 mm3, major and minor axes 2.8 and 1.5 mm). Clutch size, ovipositor length and egg size appear to be a function of female body size. Both the body size and ovipositor length of R. atremius with ripe ova and the size and shape of the eggs varied seasonally. Rhodeus a. suigensis achieved maturity at a smaller body size, had a longer ovipositor and produced smaller eggs, with the minor axis being wider relative to the major axis than those of R. a. atremius. Rhodeus atremius may be adapted for depositing small numbers of eggs in a much shallower position inside the gills of smaller host mussels than other bitterling species.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Mr. I. Kobayashi (Okayama Freshwater Fish Society), Y. Soma (Ushimado Marine Laboratory, Okayama University) and K. Tominaga (Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Kyoto University) for their help with the field survey, and Dr. Y. Nagata (Biology Laboratory, Osaka Kyoiku University) for providing unpublished data of host mussel utilization of R. a. atremius, and Mr. K. Kimura and Okayama and Chikugo Office of River, Chugoku and Kyushu Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for providing unpublished data of habitat in winter and water temperature. We also thank Dr. R. Spence and C. Smith (Department of Biology, University of Leicester) for their useful suggestions and assistance with English in the manuscript.
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Kitamura, Ji., Abe, T. & Nakajima, J. The reproductive ecology of two subspecies of the bitterling Rhodeus atremius (Cyprinidae, Acheilognathinae). Ichthyol Res 56, 156–161 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0079-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0079-5