A. A. Balanov

Species composition and distribution of Zoarcidae in the northern part of the Sea of Japan from the data of trawl surveys

Species composition, ratio, distribution, and size composition of Zoarcidae on the shelf and the upper part of the continental slope of the northern part of Japan at depths of 5 to 700 m were analyzed on the basis of four trawl surveys. In the studied area, nine species of Zoarcidae were found: Bilabria sp., Bothrocara hollandi, Davidijordania lacertina, Lycodes japonicus, L. nakamurae, L. cf. yamatoi, L. tanakae, L. toyamensis, and L. cf. ushakovi. Data on catches, density of distribution at different depths, and size composition are listed for each species. Four species: B. hollandi, L. tanakae, L. nakamurae, and L. cf. yamatoi have the greatest biomass and numbers among zoarcids in the northern part of the Sea of Japan. It was shown that zoarcids from the northern part of the Sea of Japan, similar to most demersal fish, perform seasonal migrations from the depths of 200 to 500 m, which they inhabit in the summer period, to depths larger than 400 m in the winter. It was found that the most common species of Zoarcidae (B. hollandi, L. tanakae, L. nakamurae, L. cf. yamatoi, and L. toyamensis) dwell mainly in waters of the intermediate water mass and the upper part of the Sea of Japan water mass. These species are abundant at depths larger than 200 m, which permits assigning them to a mesobenthal ecological group. All of the studied species of Zoarcidae from the given region are stenothermal—the temperature range of their habitation is below 2°C, as a rule, from 0.3 to 2.5°C.

New data on eelpouts (Pisces: Zoarcidae) from the south-western part of the Sea of Japan

On the basis of standard trawl survey made at the shores of the Republic of Korea in the Sea of Japan, species composition, ratio of species in catches, and size composition of eelpouts (fam. Zoarcidae) at depths 123–330 m is analyzed. Five species of eelpouts are found in the investigated region: Bothocara hollandi, Lycodes nakamurae, L. sadoensis, L. tanakae, and Petroschmidtia toyamensis. For the first time for the south-western part of the Sea of Japan, quantitative characteristics of distribution, size composition, and bottom temperature of capture are reported for each eelpout species. L. sadoensis is a common species in this region.

Occurrence of skate Raja pulchra (Rajidae, Rajiformes) in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan

According to data of long-term observations in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan, it was shown that skate Raja pulchra occurs only off the coasts of western Sakhalin. In all probability, it is a constant inhabitant of these waters during the course of the year; like the overwhelming majority of bottom and near-bottom fish, it performs seasonal bathymetric migrations in autumn, for wintering to the insular slope to a depth of 695 m, and in spring to shallow waters. Maximum length of R. pulchra recorded in catches is 106 cm. The main food items of R. pulchra are decapods and fish. The stock of R. pulchra off the coasts of western Sakhalin is assessed as 520 t.

On the Species Composition of Fish of the Genus Seriola (Carangidae) in the Northwestern Part of the Sea of Japan

The study of fish of the genus Seriola collected in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan and kept in different museums of Vladivostok demonstrated that all of them belong to the same species—S. quinqueradiata Temminck et Schlegel, 1845. The characters and description of the studied fish with the indication of sites of their finding are provided. On the basis of processing published data and our own materials, it is shown that, in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan, S. quinqueradiata is the most common and most distributed to the north. Two other species known in this region, S. lalandi Valienciennes, 1833 and S. dumerili (Risso, 1810) are more rare and until now not known to the north of Peter the Great Bay. Characters important for identification and an identification key are provided.

Distribution and some biological features of Lycodes raridens (Zoarcidae) in the western part of the Bering Sea

Based on a bottom trawl survey, it is shown that in Karaginskii and Olyutorskii bays of the western part of the Bering Sea, Lycodes raridens is a typically elittoral species, since it was recorded at depths of 52–120 m, and the majority of individuals of this species were found in the range of depths 50–100 m. The maximum concentrations of Lycodes raridens were 139 ind./km2 or 98 kg/km2, whereas the average values of the distribution density of this species were 7.8 ind.km2 or 5.4 kg/km2. In Karaginskii and Olyutorskii bays, Lycodes raridens is represented by individuals with a length of 16–86 cm, weight of 34–4510 g, at the age of 1+ to 7+, although fish with a length of 30–50 cm, weight of 100–1000 g, and age of 3+–4+ dominate. The data obtained suggest that in the autumn or autumn-winter period, the study species spawns in the western part of the Bering Sea. The dominant food of Lycodes raridens here are amphipods, polychaetes, bivalves, and decapods; by occurrence and the relative content in the stomach (% of weight), amphipods (as a rule, Melita spp.) and bivalves (Yoldia spp. and Macoma sp.) dominate. Lycodes raridens is a benthophage in which, at the early stage of the life cycle, gammarids prevail in food; with growth, its diet becomes more diverse due to bivalves, polychaetes, and decapods.

Distribution and some traits of biology of Lycodes tanakae (Perciformes: Zoarcidae) in Primor’e waters (Sea of Japan)

With consideration of investigations made in 2004–2010, the spatial distribution of Lycodes tanakae, as well as some traits of its biology in Primor’e waters, is described. This species occurs all over the investigated region—from 42° to 49°N as explained by hydrological properties of bottom waters and by the bottom relief of this water area. In Promor’e waters, Lycodes tanakae occurs at depths of 87–1034 m. However, the majority of specimens (90%) prefers depths of 200–700 m. Thus, it can be attributed to the mesobathial ecological fish group. In spring and summer, juveniles of L. tanakae live at similar depths (200–350 m) where this species seems to spawn. In catches, L. tanakae is represented by specimens 11–90 cm in length, 0.1–4.9 kg in weight, and age from 1 to 10 years. The bulk of catches consists of specimens 40–70 cm long (62%), up to 2.2 kg in weight (90%), and of the age 4–7 years (72%). Sexual dimorphism in linear dimensions is not determined in L. tanakae. In summer, the ration of L. tanakae in Primor’e waters consists predominantly of cephalopods (on average, 59.4% of food weight). A noticeable part belongs to decapods (19.8%) and fish juveniles (16.6%). The smallest analyzed specimens consume small decapods and polychaetes. At the body length over 40 cm, L. tanakae pass over to predation. The value of the daily ration of Lycodes tanakae is, on average, 1.5% of the body weight.

New data on the occurrence of Atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius (Hexagrammidae) in the Sea of Japan

The catch of three specimens of Atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius (Pallas, 1810) in Peter the Great Bay and off the coasts of Sakhalin (the Sea of Japan) is reported. The sites of catches are indicated, and the values of plastic and meristic characters and description of studied fish are provided. Possible causes and routes of penetration of the given species to the Sea of Japan are discussed.

Finding of Threadsail Filefish Stephanolepis cirrhifer (Temminck et Schlegel, 1850) Rare for Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

678 The family Monacanthidae is represented by four species in the Russian Far East (Parin, 2003): two spe cies (Aluterus monoceros (Linnaeus, 1758) and Can therines pardalis (Rüppell, 1837)) are registered in the waters of the southern Kuril Islands and two other spe cies Thamnaconus modestus (Günther, 1877) and Stephanolepis cirrhifer (Temminck et Schlegel, 1850) are known from the Sea of Japan. The representatives of Thamnaconus modestus are usual in Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan, and the larvae and juveniles are often present in the ichthyoplankton samples (Sokolovskaya et al., 1998; Izmyatinskii and Kim, 2003; Sokolovskii et al., 2009). Threadsail filefish S. cirrhifer is a rare species for the region (Soldatov and Lindberg, 1930; Taranets, 1937; Rumyantsev, 1947; Sokolovskaya et al., 1998; Borets, 2000; Parin, 2003; Sokolovskii et al., 2007, 2009). Only several publications include data on the findings and charac ters of the individuals collected in the waters of Russia. The description of a specimen of S. cirrhifer (at present, it is lost) collected in the Slavyanka Bay (Peter the Great Bay) is given in the paper of Soldatov and Lindberg (1930). Another specimen of this species was observed off Furugel’ma Island in July 2003; the fact of this catch is noted in the paper of Kharin and Markevich (2006). The photograph of this specimen is reproduced later in several books (Plants and Animals ..., 2007; Sokolovskii et al., 2007, 2009). A sexually mature male of this species was collected in the waters of the Far Eastern Marine Biosphere State Nature Reserve, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, in fall 2010. The first compre hensive description of S. cirrhifer found in the waters of Russia is conducted in this study.

First Findings of Juvenile Lophiidae in the Sea of Okhotsk

The family Lophiidae is represented in Russia’s waters by three species, one of which— Lophius piscatorius —is found in the Black and Barents seas, and the other two of which— L. litulon (Jordan in Jordan et Sindo, 1902) and Lophiomus setigerus —are known from the Sea of Japan (Parin, 2002) thanks to a few catches containing adult individuals in the Peter the Great Bay and off the Sea of Japan, near the coast of Sakhalin (Kharin and Cheblukov, 2005). Fry of both species have not been caught in Russia’s waters, and we consider it useful to cite recently obtained data documenting their occurrence in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk.

First occurrence of Carangoides equula (Temminck et Schlegel, 1844) (Carangidae) in Russian waters

(Bloch, 1787) (Soldatov and Lindberg, 1930; Taranets, 1937; Rumyantsev, 1947; Lindberg and Krasyukova, 1969; Sokolovslaya et al., 1998; Parin, 2003;Markevich et al., 2004; Balanov, 2008; Sokolovskiiet al., 2009). In September 2010, during investigationof the fish fauna of the Far East Marine BiosphereReserve, one more fish species from this family wascaught—the whitefin trevally