Natural growth of juveniles of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus: studying juveniles in the intertidal habitat in Hirao Bay, eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan

In order to determine the population dynamics of juvenile Apostichopus japonicus , successive surveys were conducted in the stony intertidal zone of Hirao Bay, Seto Inland Sea. The juveniles of the green and black types of this species grew well from January to June. Before this high growing season,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries science 2010-07, Vol.76 (4), p.585-593
Main Authors: Yamana, Yusuke, Hamano, Tatsuo, Goshima, Seiji
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apostichopus japonicus
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management
Food Science
Freshwater
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Growing season
High temperature
Holothurioidea
Intertidal zone
Life Sciences
Marine
Marine biology
Original Article
Water temperature
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Summary:In order to determine the population dynamics of juvenile Apostichopus japonicus , successive surveys were conducted in the stony intertidal zone of Hirao Bay, Seto Inland Sea. The juveniles of the green and black types of this species grew well from January to June. Before this high growing season, zero year old juveniles were too small to be readily detected by visual observations during field surveys. During the high water temperature season from August to November, juveniles over 1 year of age estivated underneath rocks. They awakened from their estivation in November, and it took another month before they could eat and discharge. The juveniles mainly migrated from the intertidal zone before they reached 3 years of age. In the present work, three patterns of juvenile growth were found. It is suggested that these differences in juvenile growth are mainly caused by differences in their start times for growth initiation when they are zero years old.
ISSN:0919-9268
1444-2906
DOI:10.1007/s12562-010-0245-3