Record of a Perch Sculpin, Pseudoblennius Percoides (Teleostei: Cottidae), from the Eastern Coast of Kyushu, Southern Japan

Biogeography 19. 1–4. Sep. 20, 2017

Record of a perch sculpin, Pseudoblennius percoides (Teleostei: Cottidae), from the eastern coast of Kyushu, southern Japan

Ryohei Miki1, 2*, Atsunobu Murase1, 3 and Masaaki Wada4*

1 Nobeoka Marine Science Station, Field Science Center, University of Miyazaki, 376–6 Akamizu, Nobeoka, Miyazaki 889–0517, Japan 2 Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Agriculture and Engineering, University of Miyazaki, 1–1 Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889–2192, Japan 3 Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1–1 Gakuen-kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889–2192, Japan 4 Fisheries Cooperative Association of Iorigawa, 6-188 Iorigawa-nishi, Kadogawa-cho, Miyazaki 889-0605, Japan

Abstract. Four specimens (79.3–142.8 mm in standard length) of a cottid fish, Pseudoblennius percoides Günther, 1861, were collected from Kadogawa Bay, in the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Ja- pan. These specimens represent the first record of the species from the Pacific coast of Kyushu and the southernmost record from the Pacific coast that is based on voucher specimens. Despite frequent fishery catches of P. percoides in Kadogawa Bay and records from ichthyofaunal surveys along the prefecture, there are no specimen records of the species from south of Kadogawa Bay on the eastern coast of Kyushu. However, two underwater photographs of P. percoides from Miyazaki City, in the southern part of the Prefecture, were ex- tracted from the image data base of Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History (FishPix). These facts suggest that the normal range of P. percoides on the Pacific coast of Japan extends south to the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture and that the photographic records from southern Miyazaki represent abnormal occurrences for the species.

Key words: cool temperate species, distribution, Miyazaki Prefecture, new record

Introduction During a survey of the marine fish fauna of Miyaza- ki Prefecture, which is located on the Pacific coast Pseudoblennius percoides Günther 1861 is a ma- of Kyushu, four specimens of the family Cottidae rine cottid fish inhabiting mainly Zostera marina collected by the third author from Kadogawa Bay, or Sargassum beds in shallow waters (Nakabo and northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture (Fig. 1), were Kai, 2013). This species feeds mainly on crustaceans identified as P. percoides. This paper reports these and small fishes, and attains about 210 mm in total specimens of P. percoides from Kadogawa Bay that length (Yabe, 1997). To date, distribution records of represent the first record of the species from the Pa- this species in Japanese waters have been reported cific coast of Kyushu and extend the known south- from Tsugaru Strait to Ainan-cho, Ehime Prefecture ernmost distribution on the Pacific side of Japan (Pacific coast side), and Tsugaru Strait to Nagashi- more than 300 km south-southwest on the basis of ma-cho, Kagoshima Prefecture (Sea of Japan side) voucher specimens. (Motomura, 2012; Nakabo and Kai, 2013: Fig. 1). Material and Methods ——————————————————————— *Corresponding author: [email protected] The examined specimens of P. percoides were

− 1 − Record of Pseudoblennius percoides from the eastern coast of Kyushu preserved with 10% formalin, stored in 70% ethanol 79.3 mm SL, Kadogawa-cho, Miyazaki Prefec- and deposited in the fish collection of Kanagawa ture, Kyushu, Japan, 32°28ʹ39ʺN, 131°39ʹ57ʺE or Prefectural Museum of Natural History (KPM-NI). 32°28ʹ37ʺN, 131°39ʹ42ʺE, mixed catch from two set The identification and scientific name of the species nets, 8 m depth, 5 July 2015; KPM-NI 41567 (KPM- followed Nakabo (1984, 2002) and Nakabo and Kai NR 109825A, B), 142.8 mm SL, same locality as (2013). Counts and measurements followed Hubbs KPM-NI 41566, 11 July 2016. and Lagler (2004). Color photographs of the speci- Counts and measurements of the present specimens were taken when fresh (Fig. 2) and deposited mens are shown in Table 1. Morphological charac- in the image data base of Kanagawa Prefectural Mu- ters of the four examined specimens from Kadogawa seum of Natural History (KPM-NR). Bay agreed well with Nakabo’s (1984, 2002) diagno- In addition to these collected specimens, FishPix sis of Pseudoblennius percoides having the follow- (Senou and Matsuura, 1998), the image data base of ing characters: body somewhat compressed; snout Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History pointed; mouth large, extending to almost under pos- (KPM-NR), was examined to revise the photograph- terior margin of eye; scales absent beneath pectoral ic records of the species on the eastern coast of Ky- fin; no small cirri on lateral line; anal fin with 16 soft ushu. rays; caudal peduncle deep; caudal fin not emargin- ate; no vertical dark bands on body; 1st–3rd or 4th Günther, 1861 Pseudoblennius percoides membranes of first dorsal fin dark; upper pectoral-fin (Fig. 2, Table 1) base with black spot. Materials examined. Four specimens from Kadoga- Searching of the image data base of KPM-NR, wa Bay: KPM-NI 40504 (KPM-NR 166507), 90.6 mm revealed individuals in two underwater photographs SL, Iorigawa, Kadogawa-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture, (KPM-NR 96692, 96693) from Hitotsuba, Miyaza- Kyushu, Japan, 32°28ʹ14ʺN, 131°40ʹ59ʺE, hand net, ki City (southern part of Miyazaki Prefecture, the 1–2 m depth, 5 July 2015; KPM-NI 40505 (KPM- eastern coast of Kyushu), that were identified as P. NR 166508), 101.7 mm SL, Iorigawa Fishing Port, percoides on the basis of having a pointed snout, Kadogawa-cho, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Ja- marbled brown body color, no vertical dark bands pan, hook and line, 5 July 2015; KPM-NI 41566, on body, no indeterminate white marks on the lower lateral side of body, and a black spot on the upper pectoral-fin base. Remarks. Previously, the southernmost record of P. percoides on the Pacific coast of Japan was Ainan-cho, Ehime Prefecture (Takagi et al., 2010). However, voucher specimens, photographs nor illustrations accompanied this record, making it impossible to confirm the earlier identification. Due to taxonomic confusion and similar distribution pat- terns among the species of Pseudoblennius (Nakabo and Kai, 2013), misidentification of the Ainan-cho Fig. 1. Map showing the new records (circles) and the previous record is possible. Consequently, the previous reli- southwestern distributional limits in each region of southern Japan (squares) for Pseudoblennius percoides: able southernmost record of P. percoides based on solid symbols, records with voucher specimens; open voucher specimens from the Pacific coast was Ishi- square, a record without any vouchers; open circle, a record with photographic materials. ma Island, Tokushima Prefecture (Shinohara et al.,

− 2 − Ryohei Miki, Astunobu Murase and Masaaki Wada

2000), and the present specimens and photographs of cool-temperate water area”. This group occurs in the P. percoides from Miyazaki Prefecture represent the following areas: Tsugaru strait southward to south- first record from the Pacific coast of Kyushu, extend- ern Kyushu along the Sea of Japan coast, Aomori ing the known distribution of the species more than Prefecture to Miyazaki Prefecture along the Pacific 300 km south-southwest from Ishima Island (Fig. 1). coast, Seto Inland Sea, and the southern Korean Pen- Nakabo (2013), in dividing each fish species in insula. In addition, according to figure 2B of Nakabo Japanese waters into biogeographic elements, clas- (2013), the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture is sified the genus Pseudoblennius as a category of the southern distributional limit of this group on the “shallow rocky-reef fishes in the continental coast of Pacific coast. Ditrema temminckii temminckii (Em- biotocidae), a subspecies within this biogeographic Table 1. Counts and measurements of Pseudoblennius percoides group, has also been reported in Kadogawa Bay, rep- (n=4) from Kadogawa Bay, Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan resenting its southernmost limit on the Pacific coast Standard length (mm) 79.3–142.8 (Murase et al., 2017). Although the present authors Counts have been investigating the marine fish fauna along Dorsal-fin rays X-18 the coasts of Miyazaki Prefecture for a whole year Anal-fin rays 16 Pectoral-fin rays 15 or 16 for biogeographical studies on the coasts of Kyushu, Pelvic-fin rays 2 no specimens of P. percoides were obtained from Measurements (% SL) south of Kadogawa Bay, and there are only two pho- Total length 119.9–122.1 tographic records on FishPix from Miyazaki City. Body depth 22.9–23.7 Depth of caudal peduncle 7.8–8.7 On the other hand, this species is caught every year Length of caudal peduncle 14.4–16.0 on fishery set nets installed in Kadogawa Bay since Predorsal length 29.5–32.1 2007, with a few to ca. 100 individuals per year re- Preanal length 56.9–58.6 Length of dorsal-fin base 59.6–63.1 corded there (third author, unpublished data). These Length of anal-fin base 30.5–31.0 facts suggest that the southernmost distribution Length of pectoral fin 25.7–28.0 of P. percoides on the Pacific coast of Japan is the 1st dorsal-fin spine length 9.8–10.6 northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture (similar to that 2nd dorsal-fin spine length 10.3–11.3 3rd dorsal-fin spine length 9.9–11.3 of D. temminckii temminckii), and the photographic 4th dorsal-fin spine length 9.1–10.8 records of southern Miyazaki represent abnormal 5th dorsal-fin spine length 8.3–10.4 occurrences for the species. These collection records Head length 36.8–37.7 Snout length 10.4–12.1 support the biogeographical division of Nakabo Length of orbit 7.1–9.6 (2013) and suggest that some form of geographical

Fig. 2. Color photograph of Pseudoblennius percoides from Kadogawa Bay, Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan: KPM- NI 40504 (photo number, KPM-NR 166507B), male, 90.6 mm in standard length. Photo by A. Murase.

− 3 − Record of Pseudoblennius percoides from the eastern coast of Kyushu barrier exists between Kadogawa Bay and the south- Motomura, H., 2012. Fish diversity in Kagoshima ern part of Miyazaki Prefecture inhibiting the south- influenced by Kuroshio Current. In Matsuura, K. ward dispersion of “shallow rocky-reef fishes in the (ed.), Fishes in the Kuroshio Current: 19–45. To- continental coast of cool-temperate water area”. kai University Press, Hadano. Miyazaki Prefecture has a shallow sandy coast, Murase, A., Miki, R. & Wada, M., 2017. Range which may be unavailable habitat for rocky-reef extension of an embiotocid surfperch, Ditrema fishes, extending more than 50 km between Kadoga- temminckii temminckii (Teleostei: Perciformes), wa Bay and Miyazaki City. In addition, dispersion based on specimens from Kadogawa Bay, Pacific from north to south is probably restricted by the coast of Kyushu, southern Japan. Bull. biogeogr. strong, warm Kuroshio current that flows from south Soc. Japan, 71:167-172. (in Japanese with English to north off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture. Future abstract) comprehensive ichthyofaunal surveys, especially fo- Nakabo, T., 1984. Pseudoblennius. In: Masuda, H., cusing on cool temperate species, along the coasts of Amaoka, K., Araga, C., Uyeno, T. & Yoshino T. the prefecture, should reveal further details of these (Eds.), The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago: topographic and oceanic effects on the composition 329–330, pl. 295. Tokai University Press, Tokyo. and biogeographic affinities of the coastal fish fauna. Nakabo, T., 2002. Cottidae. In: Nakabo, T. (Ed.), Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species, Acknowledgements English edition: 628–650, 1525–1528. Tokai Uni- We would like to express our sincere thanks to the versity Press, Tokyo. following people: Hiroyuki Motomura and Satokuni Nakabo, T., 2013. Biogeography of East Asian fish- Tashiro (Kagoshima University) for providing lit- es. In: Nakabo, T. (Ed.), Fishes of Japan with pic- erature; Narihisa Aratake (Miyazaki Prefecture) for torial keys to the species third edition: 2289–2338. collecting and supplying specimens; Ryuto Ozaka Tokai University Press, Hadano. (in Japanese) (Fisheries Agency) for supporting field research; Nakabo, T. & Kai, Y., 2013. Cottidae. In: Nakabo, Hiroshi Senou (KPM) for his help in depositing T. (Ed.), Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the specimens and photographs, and permitting the use species third edition: 1160–1188, 2061–2067. To- of photographic materials. We also thank Gordon kai University Press, Hadano. (in Japanese) Yearsley (Ellipsis Editing) for his revision of the En- Senou, H. & Matsuura, K. (eds) (1998) FishPix. glish manuscript. This research was supported by the National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan. Fujiwara Natural History Foundation, the Sasakawa Available at: http://fishpix.kahaku.go.jp/fishim- Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science age-e/search.html (accessed 10 Nov. 2016). Society (Grant Number: 29-737), President Strategic Shinohara, G., Sato, Y. & Matsuura, K., 2000. Coast- Priority Budget of University of Miyazaki, and a part al Fishes of Ishima Island, Tokushima, Japan. of the project "Research for understanding coastal Mem. Natn. Sci. Mus. Tokyo, 33: 175–186. fish diversity and ecology of the crested murrelet in Takagi, M., Hirata, T., Hirata, S. & Nakata, C., 2010. Kadogawa Town, northern part of Miyazaki Prefec- Fishes of Ainan Ehime. Soufusha shuppan, Ehime. ture” supported by Kadogawa Town. (in Japanese) Yabe, M., 1997. Cottidae. In: Okamura, O. & Ama- References oka, K. (Eds.), Sea Fishes of Japan: 226–236. Hubbs, C. L. & Lagler, K. F., 2004. Fishes of the Yama-kei Publishers, Tokyo. (in Japanese) Great Lakes Region, revised edition. Revised by Smith, G. R. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. (Received December 26 2016; Accepted August 18, 2017)

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