Jun Yamamoto’s research while affiliated with Hokkaido University and other places

Broadband backscattering measurements of Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus) can improve acoustic surveys of the species for the management of its fisheries throughout the Pacific Ocean. The determination of its target strength (TS), the logarithmic form of the backscattering cross-section, is the aim of this work. It was measured for fourteen individual specimens, eight in a freshwater tank and six in a seawater tank, using calibrated broadband echosounders spanning the frequency band 24–84 kHz. The TS is expressed as a function of frequency and tilt angle, with fish length as a parameter. The individual broadband TS patterns with the tilt angle of fish showed size and frequency dependencies. The fish length-normalized TS of mackerel decreased with increasing fish length-to-acoustic wavelength ratio (l/λ) in the small l/λ range (approximately 2–6) but was flat in the larger l/λ range (>6). This variation in the normalized TS indicates that a pair of regression equations is necessary to span the range of commercially important mackerel relative to the acoustic wavelength. The relative l/λ characteristic of the normalized TS showed constant values with tilt-angle distributions over a large l/λ range and can be used as a characteristic of acoustic backscattering for discrimination among species.

Measurement of target strength (TS) is important for estimating the abundance of species using fisheries acoustics. However, most researchers have only used a limited number of representative frequencies for acoustic measurements of fish without a swim bladder (bladderless fish). Here, we measured the broadband TS of three bladderless fish species, arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus), Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), and pointhead flounder (Cleisthenes pinetorum), using two broadband echosounders. TS measurements were conducted in a seawater tank over frequency ranges of 45–90 and 80–120 kHz using a tether method. Higher TS and directivity were observed at higher frequencies than at lower frequencies for pointhead flounder and arabesque greenling. However, the TS for Pacific sand lance was relatively flat over the measured frequency spectra. Additionally, the TS of pointhead flounder and Pacific sand lance could be expressed as a function of body length and the TS of arabesque greenling could be expressed as a function of body length and frequency, which could be used in fish species discriminations and size estimations.

During squid jigging operations, the hauling velocity of the jigs changes periodically with the up-and-down motion. We observed 62 Japanese flying squid, Todarodes pacificus, in a large experimental tank to clarify the relationship between the up-and-down motion of a jig and jig capturing behavior of the squid. When a jig was put into the tank, the squid recognized the jig, turned toward it, and approached it to capture it. The squid reacted to the jig when it was falling, but none reacted to the ascending jig. When the squid is in a hovering posture, its visual axes are considered to be directed forward. Consequently, the squid attacked the falling jig as it is easier to see the jig while it is falling down from above and coming into view. Over 10 minutes, we observed 52 approaches, of which only 3 were successful. We believe that in many cases the squid gave up their approach because the jig moved away too quickly in the time between jig recognition and capture. In cases of successful capture, the squid captured the jig when its velocity had slowed. We conclude that the squid is more likely to be successful by performing capturing behavior when the velocity of the jig is decreasing.

The genetic diversity of sperm and spermatangia stored by mated Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus) was examined to better understand how this ommastrephid squid mates and stores sperm. Analyses were conducted using spermatangia implanted in the lips of immature squid collected in Tsugaru Strait, northern Japan, in July–August 2019, spermatangia implanted in the lips of mature squid collected in the East China Sea in April 2019, and sperm stored in the seminal receptacles of squid collected off Tosashimizu, Kochi Prefecture, Japan, in February 2019. DNA was extracted, microsatellite loci were amplified using five PCR primers, and allele peaks were analysed. Analysis of the spermatangia confirmed that females in the field mate with multiple males, suggesting that males transfer from 1 to at least 14 spermatangia in each mating. Analysis of the seminal receptacles showed that sperm from multiple males are mixed within individual sperm chambers. Spermatangia were also found implanted in the lips of males, providing evidence of same-sex sexual behaviour. To date, studies of cephalopod mating systems have focused on coastal species, and the results of this study add to our growing knowledge of more oceanic species.

Japanese top shell Turbo sazae were collected from 11 locations covering almost the entire distribution range in Japan, and nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial 16S rDNA and COI and shell spine types were analyzed. Nucleotide sequences were segregated into two haplogroups; the frequencies of these haplogroups substantially differed between the Japan Sea and Pacific populations. The mean nucleotide substitution rate between the haplogroups was 1.247% for 16S rDNA and 1.429% for COI. Significant genetic differentiation was also observed between local populations within each ocean basin. Large variations in the frequency of spined and spine-less types and the size of spine were observed even between close-neighboring local populations, for which environmental factors were considered to play a major role.

The strontium-to-calcium ratio (Sr/Ca) in aragonitic shells and statoliths often depends on temperature, and has been investigated for its potential availability as a sclerochronological record of the temperatures experienced during the life of the animal. Only a few cephalopod species have been subjected to rearing experiments to validate the temperature dependence of statolith Sr/Ca despite the strong demand for estimating their historical ecology, particularly of migratory squid populations. In this context, we examined the relationship between temperature and statolith Sr/Ca in the spear squid, Heterololigo bleekeri , by maintaining wild-caught immature individuals at one of three constant temperatures: 12, 14 or 16°C. A portion of statolith precipitated during the experiment was optically identified by daily increment analysis, and then subjected to Sr/Ca measurement using an electron probe micro-analyser. Regression analysis (N = 29) demonstrated the dependence of statolith Sr/Ca on temperature and the relationship was estimated as an equation Y = 9.93 (±0.29) − 0.11 (±0.02) X . However, ~90% of the total residual variance was accounted for by the among-individual variation of statolith Sr/Ca within each temperature group. Consequently, the 95% confidence interval ranged over ± 7.85°C when the temperature was estimated by inserting a Sr/Ca value into this equation. The statolith Sr/Ca values are unlikely to provide reliable estimates for absolute temperatures, but it may allow reconstruction of a time-series of relative temperatures experienced by a particular individual.

The walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus is an important commercial species in Japan whose larvae and eggs may be negatively affected by the cold water mass from the coastal Oyashio current that is present in the spawning ground of the Japanese Pacific stock of this species. Therefore, we investigated egg and larval specific density, larval mortality, and behavioral response to temperature change during the ontogenetic development of the walleye pollock to understand the effect of this cold surface water mass (<1.5 °C). Egg and larval specific density varied during development but were lower than the corresponding values from the coastal Oyashio waters. Within our study temperature range (0.3–10.0 °C), the number of days to 50% mortality (D50) was high at 3.1 °C. Below and above this temperature, the D50 showed a decreasing trend. Regarding larval response, at 1.5°C and 5.0°C, newly hatched larvae occurred abundantly in the surface layer, irrespective of the surface and rearing temperatures. When these larvae were released into a thermally stratified water column (surface: 1.5 °C, bottom: 5.0 °C), larvae reared at 5.0 °C with the mouth open and yolk sac completely absorbed moved to the lower layers. However, larvae reared at 1.5 °C remained in the surface layer. These results suggest that the cold water mass could negatively affect larval survival and may limit the escape ability of larvae from unfavorable cold conditions.

The stock level of cone stripe shrimp Pandalus hypsinotus in Funka-Bay of Hokkaido has been estimated to be medium level in recent years; however, because most of the catch is occupied by small individuals, the protection of young shrimp is still an important issue. In this study, we investigated mesh selectivity for several stretched mesh size (32, 35, 39, 43, 46, 52, 65 mm) by water tank experiment. For each experiment, 15 bred shrimps were released into experimental area which installed two netting panels as partitions. The number of shrimps that passed or not passed (retention) the panel during night was recorded, and their carapace length was measured. The retention rate of shrimp in each mesh size decreased as the mesh size expanded: 0.99 (32 mm mesh size) to 0.37 (65 mm mesh size). From the master curve of mesh selectivity, the retention rate of 20 mm carapace length (recruitment size) was estimated as 0.71 at 32 mm mesh size used in the current commercial fishery. The mesh size at which 50% retention length (L50 ) is 20 mm was estimated to be 35.8 mm.

We examined the abundance and horizontal and vertical distributions of epipelagic ctenophores and scyphomedusae in the northern Bering Sea using an underwater video camera during July of 2017 and 2018. The effects of environmental and biological parameters on the distribution of these species were evaluated by generalized additive modelling (GAM). In 2017, the dominant ctenophore, Bolinopsis infundibulum, was mainly distributed in the north and west of St. Lawrence Island (SLI), and their vertical distribution varied with the region but not by the time of day. We found that B. infundibulum was distributed in the upper pycnocline north of SLI, but below the pycnocline west of SLI. Biological interactions with other gelatinous zooplankton may explain these regional differences in vertical distribution; GAM analysis revealed a negative interaction between B. infundibulum and the large scyphomedusa, Chrysaora melanaster, which occurred in the upper layer in the west of SLI. B. infundibulum may avoid that layer to reduce feeding competition. For the ctenophore, Beroe sp., vertical and horizontal distributions were similar to those of B. infundibulum, and GAM analysis also revealed a positive interaction for both species. As B. infundibulum is an important prey of Beroe sp., a prey-predator interaction may result from their similar horizontal and vertical distributions. Standing stocks of epipelagic ctenophores and scyphomedusae in 2018 were low compared to those in 2017, by a factor of 1/20 (C. melanaster) and1/90 (Beroe sp.). This might be due to annual differences in water mass in this region, in that the thermal conditions characterized by a high abundance of the dominant B. infundibulum in 2017 (<2 and >8 °C) were absent in 2018. As this drastic decrease in standing stock in 2018 was apparent for both ctenophores and scyphomedusae, food availability was hypothesized to be poor that year.