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Relationships between short-term variations in density of juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus and environmental variables on an estuarine mudflat

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Abstract

Weekly variations in density of juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus with a variety of environmental variables (e.g. water temperature, salinity and transparency, and prey density) were investigated on a tidal mudflat within the Tama River estuary, central Japan, from March to July 2001. Metamorphosing newly settled juveniles occurred from mid-March to late May. Metamorphosed benthich juveniles first appeared in late March, the density sharply increasing to a peak (67.0 ind./m2) in early May but rapidly decreasing to less than 10% of that two weeks later. No consistent relationships were apparent between short-term variations in fish density by developmental stages and water temperature, or salinity. In contrast, a weak negative relation was found between juvenile density and water transparency. Further, benthic juvenile density was positively related to short-term fluctuations of errant polychaetes, which is one of the main prey items.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Japan Wildlife Research Center, 110-8676, Taito, Tokyo, Japan

    Kouki Kanou

  2. Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 113-8657, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Mitsuhiko Sano

  3. Laboratory of Ichthyology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 108-8477, Minato, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroshi Kohno

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  1. Kouki Kanou
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  2. Mitsuhiko Sano
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  3. Hiroshi Kohno
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Correspondence to Kouki Kanou.

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Kanou, K., Sano, M. & Kohno, H. Relationships between short-term variations in density of juvenile yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus and environmental variables on an estuarine mudflat. Fish Sci 73, 38–45 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1444-2906.2007.01299.x

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