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Upstream migration mechanisms of juvenile temperate sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus in the stratified Yura River estuary

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Abstract

Hydrographic conditions and distributions of juvenile temperate sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus were observed in early spring from 2009 to 2012 in the Yura River estuary, which is highly stratified due to its small tides and consequent seawater intrusion into the bottom layer of the river as a salt wedge. In all four studied years, the upstream expansion of their distribution coincided with the timing of the salt wedge intrusion from the lower to upper estuary, indicating that juvenile fish used salt wedge intrusions to ascend the estuary in early spring. However, juveniles sometimes remained in the nearshore area even when the salt wedge intrusion had already occurred, indicating that other triggers are also likely to be necessary. We therefore evaluated the effects of temperature on upstream migration behaviors. The relationship between the mean temperature they experienced from hatch until starting the ascent and mean age of each cohort at the upstream migration fitted with the law of effective cumulative temperature. Most cohorts ascended the river at an effective cumulative temperature of approximately 500 °C–days. This suggests that higher temperatures would lead to a shorter period prior to the upstream migration.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Masahiro Ueno for his creative comments and help with samplings. This study was partly supported by the Coastal Ecosystem Complex Project of the Ocean Resource Use Promotion Technology Development Program, MEXT of Japan.

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Author notes

  1. Taiki Fuji

    Present address: Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 25-259 Shimomekurakubo, Same, Hachinohe, Aomori, 031-0841, Japan

  2. Akihide Kasai

    Present address: Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyoto University, Graduate School of Agriculture, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Taiki Fuji

  2. Kyoto University, Field Science Education and Research Center, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Akihide Kasai & Yoh Yamashita

  3. Kyoto University, Field Science Education and Research Center, Nagahama, Maizuru, 625-0086, Japan

    Yoh Yamashita

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  1. Taiki Fuji
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Correspondence to Taiki Fuji.

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This article is sponsored by the Coastal Ecosystem Complex Project of the Ocean Resource Use Promotion Technology Development Program, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

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Fuji, T., Kasai, A. & Yamashita, Y. Upstream migration mechanisms of juvenile temperate sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus in the stratified Yura River estuary. Fish Sci 84, 163–172 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-017-1167-0

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