Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. A, 43(2), pp. 93–99, May 22, 2017 New Japanese Localities for the Lancelets Asymmetron lucayanum complex and Epigonichthys cultellus [Cephalochordata], with Notes on their Northward Distribution Extensions Teruaki Nishikawa* and Hiroshi Namikawa Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4–1–1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0005, Japan *E-mail:
[email protected] (Received 28 February 2017; accepted 22 March 2017) Abstract The lancelet collection in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, includes a number of Japanese examples of the primarily tropical species Asymmetron lucayanum Andrews, 1893 complex and Epigonichthys cultellus Peters, 1876 from hitherto unreported locali- ties, including Kushimoto (Wakayama Pref.), Kuchinoerabu-jima Is. (Kagoshima Pref.) and Kyoda, off Nago City, Okinawa Is. (Okinawa Pref.) for the former, and Ôshima Strait between Amami-ôshima Is. and Kakeroma-jima Is. (Kagoshima Pref.) for the latter. Some of these locali- ties represent northward distribution extensions, although these are probably attributable to insuffi- cient sampling efforts in the past, rather than to habitat extensions caused by recent sea warming in northern waters. Key words: Cephalochordata, NW Pacific, distribution extension, global warming. Introduction Materials and Methods The lancelet collection of the National The specimens examined in the present study Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba are deposited mainly in the National Museum of included Japanese examples of the primarily Nature and Science, Tsukuba (NSMT), supple- tropical Asymmetron lucayanum Andrews, 1893 mented by those in the Natural History Museum, species complex and Epigonichthys cultellus London (BM), the Museum für Naturkunde der Peters, 1876.