Distribution, feeding condition, and growth of Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius) larvae in the Seto Inland Sea

Distribution of eggs and larvae and feeding and growth of larvae of Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius) were investigated in relation to their prey in the Sea of Hiuchi, the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, in 1995 and 1996. The abundance of S. niphonius eggs and larvae peaked in late May, corresponding with that of clupeid larvae, the major prey organisms of S. niphonius larvae. The eggs were abundant in the northwestern waters and the larvae were abundant in the southern waters in late May in both years, indicating a southward drift during egg and yolksac stages by residual f low in the central part of the Sea of Hiuchi. Abundance of clupeid larvae in southern waters, where S. niphonius larvae were abundant, may indicate a spawning strategy on the part of first-feeding S. niphonius larvae to encounter the spatial and temporal peak in ichthyoplankton prey abundance in the Seto Inland Sea. Abundance of the clupeid larvae was higher in 1995 than in 1996. Feeding incidence (percentage of stomachs with food; 85.3% in 1995 and 67.7% in 1996) and mean growth rate estimated from otolith daily increments (1.05 mm/d in 1995 and 0.85 mm/d in 1996) of S. niphonius larvae in late May were significantly higher in 1995. Young-of-the-year S. niphonius abundance and catch per unit of fishing effort of 1-year-old S. niphonius in the Sea of Hiuchi was higher in 1995, indicating a more successful recruitment in this year. Spatial and temporal correspondence with high ichthyoplankton prey concentration was considered one of the important determinants for the feeding success, growth, and survival of S. niphonius larvae.

Kumataro Ito, Japanese Artist on Board the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross During the Philippine Expedition, 1907–1910

Kumataro Ito produced hundreds of beautiful color paintings of fishes and invertebrates during and after the 1907-10 Philippine Expeditin of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross. The paintings are housed in the files of the Divisions of Fishes and Mollusks, United States National Museum of Natural History, and Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Few of those paintings have been published in color, but many have been publishes in black and white. Two years after the expedition, Ito came to Washington, D.C., in 1912 for an extended period to render final paintings based on preliminary color sketches made during the expedition. He did not completly render all the sketches during his stay, probably because he was asked to produced a large number of black-and-white illustrations of Philippine fishes, and a few of North American fishes. Most of the black-and-white illustrations have been published. Few publications containing Ito's Philippine and North American illustrations have acknowledged him. The very little that is known about Ito's life is discussed, examples of his black-and-white and colored fish paintings are reproduced, and his previously unacknowledged illustrations in various publications are herein acknowledged. Another Japanese artist, Yasui, about whom almost nothing is known, joined the Albatross during Ito's second tour on board the ship. It appears, with few exceptions, that Yasui produced only preliminary color sketches of fishes, which, if rendered as final paintings, were done by Ito.

Trade and Management: Exclusive Economic Zones and the Changing Japanese Surimi Market

The United States' increasing competitive advantage in international seafood trade in Alaska walleye pollock. Theragra chalcogramma, has contributed to higher prices for surimi-based goods and structural changes in seafood production and trade in Japan. The objectives of this analytical investigation include: 1) Evaluation of the role reversal of Japan and the United States in international seafood trade and 2) quantification of the impact of rising prices of frozen surimi on household consumption of surimi-based foods in Japan. This study documents Japan's regression from "seafood self-sufficiency" to increasing dependence on imported products and raw materials. In particular, Japan's growing dependence on American fishermen and seafood producers is described. Surimi production by the United States, and its emerging dominance over Japanese sources of supply, are especially significant. Results of the analysis suggest that Japanese consumer demand for surimi-based food stuffs correlates directly with "competitive" food prices, e.g., pork, chicken, and beef, and inversely with personal income. Also revealed is how rising household income and relative price shifts among competing animal protein sources in the Japanese diet have contributed to declining household consumption of surimi-based foods, specifically, and a shift away from seafoods in favor of beef, in general. The linkages between, for example. Japanese domestic seafood production and consumption, international trade in marine products, and resource management decisions in the U.S. EEZ present a picture of a changing global marketplace. Increasingly, actions in one arena will have perhaps profound implications in the others.

Overview of Mark-recovery Studies on Adult and Juvenile Atlantic Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and Gulf Menhaden, B. patronus

Extensive mark-recapture studies using internal ferromagnetic tags have been conducted on Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, and Gulf menhaden, B. patronus. From 1966 through 1969, 1,066,357 adult Atlantic menhaden were tagged; subsequently, from 1970 through 1987, 428,272 juveniles of this species were tagged. Similarly, from 1969 through 1971, 75,673 adult Gulf menhaden were tagged; concurrently from 1970 through 1985, 236,936 juveniles were tagged and released. This report provides an overview of the history of the tagging program, methodologies for both release and recovery activities, a summary of release areas and number of fish tagged within each area, and a review of assumptions necessary for the analysis of this type of mark-recovery data. The resulting data sets have proven to be highly useful for a variety of analyses ranging from determination of migratory patterns and population structure to estimating mortality rates. The relatively wide range of acceptance of tagging results by laymen, industry, and analysts alike have made these data extremely useful for management-oriented analyses.

Descriptions of larval, prejuvenile, and juvenile finescale menhaden (Brevoortia gunteri) (family Clupeidae), and comparisons to gulf menhaden (B. patronus)

Larval and juvenile development of finescale menhaden (Brevoortia gunteri) is described for the first time by using wild-caught individuals from Nueces Bay, Texas, and is compared with larval and juvenile development of co-occurring gulf menhaden (B. patronus). Meristics, morphometrics, and pigmentation patterns were examined as development proceeded. An illustrated series of finescale menhaden is presented to show changes that occurred during development. For finescale menhaden, transformation to the juvenile stage was completed by 17−19 mm standard length (SL). By contrast, transformation to the juvenile stage for gulf menhaden was not complete until 23−25 mm SL. Characteristics useful for separating larval and juvenile finescale menhaden from gulf menhaden included 1) the presence or absence of pigment at the base of the insertion of the pelvic fins; 2) the standard length at which medial predorsal pigment occurs; 3) differences in the number of dorsal fin ray elements; and, 4) the number of vertebrae.

Nutrient digestibility coefficients of diets with varying energy to protein ratio for Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus

A laboratory trial was conducted in a sea water recirculatory system to study the nutrient digestibility coefficients of diets with varying energy to protein ratios in Japanese flounder Paralicthys olivaceus. Six different experimental diets with two protein levels (45 and 55%) having six different energy to protein ratio of 87, 90, 94, 107, 110 and 114 were formulated using white fish meal and casein as protein sources. The results of the study showed that the apparent protein digestibility (APD) value ranged between 90.59 to 91.61% and there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the APD values of diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. The apparent lipid digestibility (ALD) values of diets ranged between 88.24 to 90.18%. The apparent energy digestibility (AED) values ranged between 80.55 to 87.52% with diet 3 producing significantly the highest AED value. In general, except in diet 1 the ALD and AED values increased with the increase of dietary lipid at both protein levels. The results of the present investigation indicated that Japanese flounder can efficiently digest the dietary nutrients at varying energy to protein ratios.

Preservation of fish by freezing and glazing. Pt. 3. Effect of freezing, glazing and frozen storage on the B-vitamins and essential minerals present in the fish flesh

The changes occurring in moisture, thiamine, riboflavin niacin, phosphorus, iron and calcium in pomfret, surmai and frozen mackerel, glazed with ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium chloride, glucose, sodium nitrite and kept under frozen storage were studied up to 6 months and results reported.

Economics of operation of 38' G.R.P. fishing vessels issued by the A.D.B. Fisheries Project: a case study

The author gives a financial and economic valuation of the operation of vessels in the 38 foot GRP class. He discusses particularly the materials and methods of fishing they use, species composition of their catches, their rate of return, break-even analysis, financial and social analysis.

Distribution of vitamin B-12 in some fishes and marine invertebrates

Distribution of vitamin B-12 in the skeletal muscle of several marine and fresh water fish and marine invertebrates are reported. The vitamin B-12 content of white muscle of various fish ranges between 0.05 and 1.5 micrograms. The elasmobranch fish, such as sharks and rays, has a lower levels of vitamin B-12. The distribution of vitamin B-12 in the red muscle, heart, brain and liver of various fish is also shown. Content in red muscle varies between 3 and 22 micrograms, averaging 8 micrograms. The values show that the heart is a rich source of vitamin B-12. Internal organs are also rich in vitamin B

Temperature effects on pathogenicity of selected Edwardsiella tarda strain to Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica

Temperature effect on the pathogenicity of selected Edwardsiella tarda V-1 strain to Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica was investigated. To evaluate the effects of both pathogen incubation temperature and fish cultivation temperature on pathogen pathogenicity a two-factor design was conducted. E. tarda was incubated at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 37±1°C, and the fish (mean weight: 100g) were reared at 15, 20, 25 and 28±1°C respectively. The fish reared at different temperatures were infected with the E. tarda incubated at different temperatures. The results of a 4-day LD50 test showed that temperature significantly affected the pathogenicity of E. tarda (p<0.01) and the interaction between the two factors was also significant (p<0.01). For fish reared at 20°C the pathogenicity of E. tarda was the highest at 30°C of pathogen incubation. When the fish rearing temperature was raised to 25 and 28°C, the pathogenicity of E. tarda incubated at all temperatures increased. Isolation testing demonstrated results similar to those of LD50. The selected isolate was virulent to eel, but pathogenicity varied with temperature.