KOREAN JOURNAL OF ICHTHYOLOGY, Vol. 20, No. 2, 133-138, June 2008 Received : December 13, 2007 ISSN: 1225-8598 Revised : May 9, 2008 Accepted : June 2, 2008 Circumstance of Protection for Threatened Freshwater in Japan

By Kazumi Hosoya*

Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Kinki University, Japan

INTRODUCTION viated as Ex for 4 spp., “Critically Endangered” as IA for 61 spp., “Endangered” as IB for 48 spp., “Vulnerable” The wild have been on the way to extinction as II for 35 spp. and “Near threatened” as NT for 26 spp. all over the world due to the drastic change to artificial environments. Among them, freshwater fishes have Negative factors to Japanese freshwater fishes become one of the most typical target groups to affect by human activities, because they occur in such closed The Government of Japan classifies negative factors habitats as aquatic environment where various negative to the native biota as three major crises in “the National factors bring about direct influence. In this report, the Biodiversity Strategy of Japan”. basic idea to protect wild freshwater fishes is provided The first crisis: Development and other human activi- by referring to the case in Japanese threatened . ties are causing species loss and extinction, as well as The substantial approach by different techniques viz., the destruction and fragmentation of ecosystem. “In situ Conservation” and “Ex situ Preservation” is also species populations are decreasing in size due to various proposed with future prospect. exploitations. Dam construction and cross-sectioning in rivers must constrain the migration of sea-run fishes Acipencer medirostris Japanese threatened species such as Sakhalin green sturgeon (EX), anadoromous salmons and amphidromous gobies. The Japanese archipelago runs parallels to the eastern Even consolidation of results in the disappear- rim of the Eurasian continent, extending north-south- ance of two local forms of killifishes latipes (II) ward from 22�to 45�N in latitude along the ‘Kurosiwo’ from traditional habitats. current. It mainly belongs to the Temperate Monsoon The second crisis: Nature in paddy field has automat- Zone, covering subtropical region in the Ryukyu islands ically changed to more dry stages as natural succession, to the sub-arctic region in the Kuril islands. These geo- unless human activities keep moderate interference to logical locations produce the rich biodiversity in fresh- paddy field. The balance between interference and bio- water fishes which are summed up ca 280 native species diversity are getting worse by cultivation abandonment, in total (Kawanabe et al., 2001). The number is compa- particularly in small paddy fields by traditional rice farm- rable with, or more than those in , 204 spp. (Kim ing. and Park, 2002), and in entire Europe ca 200 spp. (Mait- The third crisis: Invasive alien species and chemical land, 1977). materials are adversely affecting fish biodiversity. Both The Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan are in common as exotic elements to release to indige- (2007), has just released new Red List of Japanese fresh- nous ecosystem by human beings outside, without any water fishes to public together with other taxonomic consideration. Major problems of invasive alien species groups in Japan (Table 1). The Red List was revised on in Japanese freshwaters are typified by predation of the basis of the quantitative criteria of IUCN (Interna- Black bass and of Rosy bitterling from tional Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural continental to Japanese forms. Chemical compounds Resources). The new list includes 174 species or sub- toxic to fishes include PCB, DDT and dioxin. The Japan- species which is identical with ca half of the Japanese ese consumptions of these organochlorine or organophos- freshwater fishes in number. They are categorized as phorus inseciticides reached to the peak in early 1960s five ranks in proportion to gravity, viz., “Extinct” abbre- when the sudden decrease of freshwater fishes occurring in paddy fields, has just started. This has partly contri- *Corresponding author: Kazumi Hosoya Tel: 81-742-43-6195, buted to extinction of Southern ninespine Fax: 81-742-43-1593, E-mail: [email protected] kaibarae (Ex) from Kyoto and Hyogo prefec-

— 133 — http://www.fishkorea.or.kr 134 Kazumi Hosoya

Table 1. Red list of Japanese freshwater fshies, released August 3rd, 2007 from the Minisitry of Environment, Government of Japan 1. Extinct (EX) 3. Endangered (IB) Oryzias latipes subsp. Pseudocalliurichthys ikedai Acipenser medirostris Nematalosa japonica Oryzias latipes latipes Odontobutis hikimius Gnathopogon elongatus suwae Carassius cuvieri Cottus kazika Belobranchus belobranchus Oncorhynchus nerka kawamurae Carassius auratus grandoculis Ambassis interrupta Bunaka gyrinoides Pungitius kaibarae Acheilognathus melanogaster Stiphodon surrufus Acheilognathus tabira tabira Ophiocara porocephala Luciogobius dormitoris 2. Critically Endangered (IA) Acheilognathus tabira subsp. Brachyamblyopus anotus Stenogobius ophthalmoporus atremius atremius Odontamblyopus lacepedii Gymnogobius mororanus Uropterygius concolor Taenioides limicola Glossogobius circumspectus Echidna rhodochilus Ischikauia steenackeri Hemigrammocypris rasborella Leucopsarion petersii Glossogobius sp. Tanakia tanago Luciogobius sp. Pseudogobius sp. Acheilognathus cyanostigma Tribolodon nakamurai Gymnogobius macrognathos Silhouettea sp. Acheilognathus longipinnis Cobitis takatsuensis Gymnogobius uchidai Silhouettea dotui Acheilognathus tabira nakamurae Cobitis shikokuensis Gymnogobius taranetzi Redigobius balteatus Cobitis sp. L Acanthogobius hasta Mugilogobius fusca Rhodeus ocellatus kurumeus Cobitis sp. S Tokai form Acanthogobius insularis Mugilogobius Rhodeus atremius suigensis Cobitis sp. S Biwako form sp. Cobitis sp. S San-in form Pseudogobius masago Acentrogobius audax Aphyocypris chinensis Acentrogobius viridipunctatus Pseudorasbora pumila pumila Cobitis sp. S Kyushu form Acentrogobius suluensis Pandaka sp. Pseudorasbora pumila Lefua nikkonis Parkraemeria ornata subsp. Parioglossus palustris Sarcocheilichthys biwaensis Lefua echigonia Rhinogobius sp. BW Gnathopogon caerulescens Lefua sp. Gobitrichinotus radiocularis 5. Near Threatened (NT) Cobitis sp. S San-yo form Pseudobagrus ichikawai Kraemeria tongaensis Leptobotia curta Hucho perryi Lethenteron kessleri Parioglossus lineatus Plecoglossus altivelis ryukyuensis Monopterus albus Carassius auratus subsp. 2 Salanx ariakensis Hippichthys (Hippichthys) Tanakia lanceolata 7. Threatened local Population (LP) Neosalanx reganius heptagonus Tanakia limbata Entosphenus tridentatus Oncorhynchus nerka nerka Crenimugil heterocheilos Phoxinus percnurus sachalinensis (Population in Tochigi Prefucture) Gasterosteus aculeatus leiurus Trachidermus fasciatus Sarcocheilichthys variegatus Clupea pallasii (Lake type Pungitius sp. 1 Cottus reinii variegatus populations in the side of Pacific) Pungitius sp. 2 Cottus sp. Squalidus chankaensis biwae Cyprinus carpio (Wild type Microphis (C oelonotus) argulus Lates japonicus Pseudobagrus aurantiacus population in Lake Biwa) Microphis (L ophocampus) retzii Sillago macrolepis Silurus lithophilus Tribolodon brandti (Populations in Microphis (O ostethus) jagorii Kuhlia munda Hypomesus olidus Honsyu along the Sea of Japan) Cestraeus plicatilis Butis amboinensis Oncorhynchus masou masou Tribolodon sachalinensis Tetraroge barbata Bostrychus sinensis Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae (Populations in Tohoku District) Tetraroge niger Hypseleotris cyprinoides Oncorhynchus masou subsp. Spirinchus lanceolatus Apogon hyalosoma Ophieleotris sp. 1 ungitius sp. 3 (Populations in Erimo Cape and Lutjanus goldiei Apocryptodon punctatus Pungitius tymensis westward) Sillago parvisquamis Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Zenarchopterus dunckeri Salvelinus leucomaenis japonicus Mesopristes cancellatus Taenioides cirratus Hyporhamphus intermedius (Populations in Kii Peninsula) Mesopristes argenteus Sicyopterus lagocephalus Cottus pollux Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus Mesopristes iravi Cristatogobius lophius Acanthopagrus berda (The land-rocked pacific type Enneapterygius cheni Gymnogobius scrobiculatus Ophieleotris sp. 2 populations in Fukushima Omox biporos Gymnogobius sp. Periophthalmus modestus prefucture and southward) Omobranchus ferox Schismatogobius ampluvinculus Luciogobius pallidus Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus Rhyacichthys aspro Schismatogobius roxasi Eutaeniichthys gilli Scartelaos histophorus (Japan Sea type populations in Pandaka lidwilli Acentrogobius caninus Honsyu) Lentipes armatus Rhinogobius sp. BB Rhinogobius sp. TO Sicyopus leprurus Pungitius pungitius (freshwater Rhinogobius sp. YB Tridentiger barbatus type populations in Honsyu) Sicyopus zosterophorum Parioglossus rainfordi Stiphodon imperiorientis Cottus hangiongensis (Populations 6. Data Deficiency (DD) in Tohoku and Hokuriku Stiphodon atropurpureus 4. Vulnerable (II） Luciogobius albus Anguilla japonica Districts) Callogobius sp. Lethenteron sp. 1 Anguilla bicolor pacifica Cottus nozawae (Populations in Eviota ocellifer Lethenteron sp. 2 Carassius sp. Tohoku District) Oxyurichthys sp. Lethenteron japonicum Carassius auratus subsp. 1 Lateolabrax japonicus Cristatogobius aurimaculatus Coilia nasus Phoxinus lagowskii yamamotis (Populations in the Sea of Ariake) Cristatogobius nonatoae Opsariichthys uncirostris uncirostris Salvelinus leucomaenis pluvius Gymnogobius petschiliensis Gymnogobius isaza Abbottina rivularis Chelon subviridis (Populations in south Gymnogobius cylindricus Squalidus japonicus japonicus Ellochelon vaigiensis and Tohoku Districts) Glossogobius bicirrhosus Niwaella delicata Moolgarda pedaraki Gymnogobius castaneus Glossogobius aureus Cobitis matsubarae Moolgarda engeli (Populations in the region around Bathygobius sp. Cobitis sp. M Ambassis commersoni of Choukaisan) Mugilogobius parvus Pseudobagrus tokiensis Apogon lateralis Gymnogobius castaneus Rhinogobius sp. BI Liobagrus reini Pseudamia amblyuroptera (Populations in Toyama plain Parioglossus taeniatus Salvelinus malma krascheninnikovi Plectorhinchus albovittatus field) Parioglossus interruptus Salvelinus malma miyabei Toxotes jaculatorix Takifugu niphobles (Populations in Macropodus opercularis Salvelinus leucomaenis imbrius Omobranchus elongatus Okinawa Island) Circumstance of Protection for Threatened Freshwater Fishes in Japan 135 tures. curta, all the species are canal dwellers depending on Above classification on negative factors may conform the traditional rice cropping. to the case of freshwater fishes in some sense. However, it is difficult to specify the key factor to decrease fish Invasive alien fishes population size or individual numbers, because some The release of artificial fish seedlings into natural crises are co-related each other. To the true freshwater waters to sustain the natural bioresources has been tradi- fishes (Primary and Secondary Divisions) inhabiting the tionally adopted by Japanese fishermen. Also, alien Japan proper, i.e., Hokkaido, , Shikoku, and fishes were actively introduced to freshwaters in Japan, Kyushu, consolidation of paddy field and introduction resulting in the establishment of new commercial fishes, of invasive alien fishes seem to the largest problems so such as rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. However, far. some of them often have become pest species in the Japanese natural ecosystem, bringing such biological Consolidation of paddy field hazards as heavy predation and genetic pollution. The Japan is a typical rice cropping country. Paddy field mechanisms, in which the Japanese indigenous fishes had originally been modified from swampland on the were reduced by the introduction of invasive alien fish- back of rivers or floodplain since the “Jomon Era”. es, are exemplified by the two cases below. Fishes occurring in such an unstable habitat have been Bass problem: Black bass as Japanese common name utilizing it as spawning-, nursery-, feeding- grounds, and contains taxonomically two different species. Large- refuge even after remodeling to paddy field in balance mouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Fig. 2, A) was initial- with rice cropping. The annual farming activities related ly introduced from the USA to Lake Ashinoko near Mt. to traditional rice cropping, play a role as ecological in- Fuji in 1925 by a Japanese businessman Tetsuma Aka- terference with which freshwater fishes make their life- hoshi. The bass had strictly been confined to the lake cycles synchronize very harmoniously. until the 1960s when modern lure fishing was introduced To enhance the efficiency to produce agricultural food, from the USA. The bass had gradually been spreading the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Japan has in accordance with the boom into all freshwaters in Japan been promoting a national project to consolidate tradi- by personal transplantation. They easily established new tional paddy field to new one since early 1960s. The predacious niche, because there had been no such perch- consolidation adopts several modern engineering ways; like competitor. Another Black bass, Smallmouth bass enlargement of a paddy field by uniting small fields, and M. dolomieu (Fig. 2, B) was added in 1990s by irregular transformation from irregular shape to square (Fig. 1). transplantation from the USA which accelerates range This causes the remarkable loss of habitat variation and extension of Black bass. Since then, the composition of relevant biodiversity. The change of watering system, Japanese indigenous ichthyofauna has been simplified, from the traditional dual-purpose canal to independent with exposure to heavy feeding pressure by the new setting of irrigation and drainage canals, completely in- strong predator. The Black bass established in freshwa- terrupts fish migration between rivers and paddy fields. ters in Japan, feed on a wide variety of aquatic organ- Fishes in reproduction season tend to move upward to isms as has been reported in original distribution of the paddy fields through not irrigation but drainage, by USA. It is notable that the bass feed well on crustaceans physiologically detecting the soil matter from paddy throughout the year, and on fishes from summer to fall. field. In the new watering system, the drainage canal is Their feeding habit reduced some endemic small cypri- always set lower than the surface of paddy field by 0.3 nids such as Acheilognathus cyano- ~1.0 m height in order to drain better. Any Japanese stigma, Small scale bitterling A. typus, and Shinai top freshwater fishes can not jump over this gap from drain- mouth gudgeon Psuedorasbora pumilla. Accordingly, all age canal to paddy field. The canals, by themselves, were these prey fishes are now ranked as “Critically Endan- modernized from complicated natural soil canal to sim- gered”. ple artificial one with concrete-ling on three faces of the Genetic Pollution: the Continental rosy bitterling Rho- canal. This remodeling lightened one of farmer’s bur- deus ocellatus ocellatus (Fig. 3, A) contaminated in the dens to manage canals, i.e., mowing and dredging, while seedlings of the Chinese major carps, viz., Ctenopha- destroyed fish habitats and an ecological role as ecotone ryngodon idellus, Mylopharyngodon piceus, Hypoph- at all. thalmichthys moltrix and Aristichthys nobilis from the In the new Red List of Japanese freshwater fishes, 16 Yangtze-Kiang, Changjiang, during the World War II. spp. in 61 CR spp. (26%) inhabit paddy field or adjacent The Japanese endemic subspecies R. ocellatus kurumeus waters. Metropolitan bitterling Tanakia tanago, Suwon (Fig. 3, B) originally inhabited the western part of Japan rosy bitterling Rhodeus atremius suigensis, Venus fish where the continental type subspecies soon invaded. Aphyocypris chinensis, Small striated spined loach Cobi- Both subspecies are well distinguished by the coloration tis sp. S San-yo form, and Ayumodoki loach Leptobotia along the anterior margin of the ventral fins; the conti- 136 Kazumi Hosoya

Fig. 1. Comparison of landscape with irrigation ditch between traditional paddy field (left) and consolidated paddy field (right) in Gifu Prefecture.

A A

B B

Fig. 3. Two subspecies of the rosy bitterlings. A. The condinental rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus ocellatus; B. The Japanese rosy bitter- Fig. 2. Two black basses introduced to Japan. A. Large mouth bass, ling, R. ocellatus kurumeus. Note the difference of the coloration along Micropterus salmoider; B. Small mouth bass, M. dolomieu. the anterior margin of ventral fins in males by an arrow. Circumstance of Protection for Threatened Freshwater Fishes in Japan 137

Fig. 4. Image to protect the threaten- ed species. Both “In situ Conserva- 保護 Protection tion” and “Ex situ Preservation” invi- table to the promotion of “Protect- ion”.

Rare species

希少種 Ex situ

保存 In Situ 保全 Preservation masa

Conservation

nental subspecies has a remarkable white band while i.e., “Protection”, “Conservation”, and “Preservation”. the Japanese subspecies has no such band at all. They Conservation vs. Preservation: “Protection” provides easily hybridize to produce a reproductive F1 with a an inclusive and abstract idea to save wild life. It has white band along the anterior margin of the ventral fins. wider meaning that can be divided into “Conservation” The appearance of the white band follows the Mende- and “Preservation” in my sense (Fig. 4). lian rule as a superior character. In the populations of “In situ Conservation” literally means to protect the the Japanese subspecies, once genetically introgressed whole population without any changes in natural environ- by the continental subspecies, bitterling produce a white ment such as national park and fish sanctuary where band soon. The genetic pollution through the hybridiza- they actually occur in original distribution. Species desig- tion with the continental rosy bitterling results in large nated as threatened by a competent authority should be scale reduction in the Japanese pure form, which are now protected by law. Threatened species legislation always confined to a few of ponds in Osaka and the Chikugo must prohibit the fishing, keeping in a private aquarium, River in the north-western part of Kyushu, as ranked in trade, and even sampling for laboratory works by resear- “Critically Endangered”. The mechanisms of replace- chers on listed species. ment from the Japanese subspecies to the continental “Ex situ Preservation” aims to keep each threatened subspecies, were already elucidated in terms of . species as stocks or gene-bank by gathering some indi- viduals from natural environment to artificial equip- Protection of threatened species ments. Japan, a nation of fisheries, has developed unique original techniques to enhance resources of the valuable More or less, every indigenous species of Japanese food fishes by aquaculture. These techniques are now freshwater fishes has been driven to the brink of extinc- utilized to propagate the wild threatened fishes of non- tion. Then, it is an urgent issue for the Government of commercial value in some inland fisheries research cen- Japan to make a strategy for saving the fishes, by using ters. The Time-capsule Project promoted by the Ministry every possible way. To make the goal clear to save the of Environment, has already succeeded in the cryopre- wild life, the efficient and realistic countermeasures servation of sperm of some “Critically Endangered” must be planned by sharing biological philosophy. How- (IA) species such as R. ocellatus kurumeus, Tanakia ever, its related terminology seems a little bit confused, tanago, Acheilognathus cyanostigma, A. typus, Aphyo- 138 Kazumi Hosoya cypris chinensis, Psuedorasbora pumilla, and Leptobo- proceedings for Chuncheon Water Forum 2007 held in tia curta, and some “Endangered” (IB) species such as Chuncheon, Korea to dedicate to my sincere elder col- Japanese huchen Hucho perryi, Siro-hire-tabira bitter- league, Professor Ik-Soo Kim for his retirement with ling, Acheilognathus tabira tabira, and Golden venus compliments. Also, I wish the information in this paper fish Hemigrammocypris rasborella, etc. will contribute to the practical protection for Korean Some radical ecologists, or conservationists fear that threatened freshwater fishes. giving greater emphasis to “Ex situ Preservation” may permit governments to regard it as a substitute rather than a complement to “In situ Conservation” in the REFERENCES wild. However, many species and populations will slip through the cracks and be lost, if the facilities based on Government of Japan. 2002. The National Biodiversity “Ex situ Preservation” are not strengthened. Also, “Ex Strategy of Japan. Ministry of Environment, 313pp. situ Preservation” provides people for increasing aware- (in Japanese) ness and findings of natural history of wild animals. In IUCN Species Survival Commission. 2001. IUCN Red List Ex situ step with their changing role in “ Preservation”, Categories. Version 3.1. the goal of public aquarium like in “Co-ex”, Seoul, is Kawanabe, H., N. Mizuno and K. Hosoya. 2001. Freshwater changing as well. Some Japanese aquaria have already been becoming “Biological ponds” or “Biodiversity fishes of Japan. Revised Ed., Yama-Kei Publishers, Preservation Centers”. Tokyo, 720pp. (in Japanese) Both “In situ Conservation” and “Ex situ Preservation” Kim, I.S. and J. Y. Park. 2002. Freshwater fishes of Korea. are needed, and two must be coordinated as parts of uni- Kyo-Hak Publishers, Seoul, 465pp. (in Korean) fied programs as far as “Protection” for threatened fresh- Maitland, P.S. 1977. Freshwater fishes of Britain and Europe. water fishes are concerned (Fig. 4). Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, London, 256pp. Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan. 2007. Re- vised Red List, 2nd release. (in Japanese) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This small paper was revised from the abstract in the