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Effect of environmental factors and prey species on daytime and nighttime vertical distribution of juvenile walleye pollock in and around Funka Bay

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Social-ecological systems on walleye pollock under changing environment: Inter-disciplinary approach
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Abstract

We examined factors affecting the vertical distribution of juvenile walleye pollock during “the second critical period” (i.e. the transition period of prey size) in and around Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan. During the day, small juveniles (<30 mm) were distributed mainly in shallow, warm, and low-salinity water within the bay, whereas larger ones (≥30 mm) occurred in deeper, cold and saline water. During the night, the large juveniles migrated to shallower depths. Outside the bay, small- and large-sized juveniles were distributed in water masses of similar physical properties during the daytime, whereas during the nighttime, most of the juveniles moved to shallower depth, and some juveniles dived to deeper water mass. Dietary analysis revealed that large juveniles fed on large copepods (≥0.5 mm in body width) more than small juveniles did. The composition of zooplankton in our survey area showed that large-sized copepods often occurred in deeper saline water. From these results, there is a possibility that juvenile pollock inside and outside Funka Bay occupied different water masses preferable for each feeding advantage.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the crews of R/V Ushio-maru and R/V Kinsei-maru for their cooperation in the surveys. We also thank Dr. Shida of Central Fisheries Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, Dr. Mukai, Dr. Yamamoto, Mr. Iwamori, and students in the LaMECA at Hokkaido University for their valuable comments and help. This study was partly supported by grants-in-aid for scientific research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and from the Fisheries Agency of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Yohei Kawauchi

  2. Hokkaido National Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 116 Katsurakoi, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0802, Japan

    Masayuki Chimura

  3. Mariculture Fisheries Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, 1-156-3 Funami-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, 051-0013, Japan

    Takashi Mutoh

  4. Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, 1-2-66 Yunokawa-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 042-0932, Japan

    Masamichi Watanobe

  5. Fisheries and Oceans Hakodate, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Hokuto Shirakawa

  6. Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido, 041-8611, Japan

    Kazushi Miyashita

Authors
  1. Yohei Kawauchi
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  2. Masayuki Chimura
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  3. Takashi Mutoh
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  4. Masamichi Watanobe
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  5. Hokuto Shirakawa
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  6. Kazushi Miyashita
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Correspondence to Yohei Kawauchi.

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This article is sponsored by the Fisheries Research Agency, Yokohama, Japan.

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Kawauchi, Y., Chimura, M., Mutoh, T. et al. Effect of environmental factors and prey species on daytime and nighttime vertical distribution of juvenile walleye pollock in and around Funka Bay. Fish Sci 80, 139–149 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-014-0718-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-014-0718-x

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