Potential impact of ocean circulation on the declining Japanese eel catches

Seasonally-reversed trends in the subtropical Northwestern Pacific linked to asymmetric AMO influences

This study identifies seasonally-reversed trends in Kuroshio strength and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) within the western North Pacific (WNP) since the 1990s, specifically in the 22° N-28° N region. These trends are characterized by increases during summer and decreases during winter. The seasonally-reversed trends are a result of the asymmetric responses of the WNP to a shift towards the positive phase of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) around the same period. The positive AMO induces an anomalous descent over the North Pacific during summer, leading to the direct strengthening of the gyre. However, during winter, it triggers an anomalous descent over the tropical Pacific, which excites a poleward wavetrain impacting the WNP and causing gyre weakening. The associated responses of the East Asian monsoon and China Coastal Current contribute to the observed seasonally-reversed SST trends. It is noteworthy that the seasonally-reversed trends in gyre strength and SSTs are predominantly observed north of 20° N in the WNP. This limitation arises because the anomalous cyclone within the winter poleward wavetrain is located north of this latitude boundary. Specifically, the clearest trends in gyre strength are observed in the northern segment of the Kuroshio, while the manifestation of SST trends in the Taiwan Strait could potentially be attributed to the influence and enhancement of the East Asian monsoon and the China Coastal Current. Due to the limited length of observational data, statistical significance of some of the signals discussed is rather limited. A CESM1 pacemaker experiments is further conducted to confirm the asymmetric responses of the North Pacific to the AMO between the summer and winter seasons.

A Chromosome-level assembly of the Japanese eel genome, insights into gene duplication and chromosomal reorganization

Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) are commercially important species, harvested extensively for food. Currently, this and related species (American and European eels) are challenging to breed on a commercial basis. As a result, the wild stock is used for aquaculture. Moreover, climate change, habitat loss, water pollution, and altered ocean currents affect eel populations negatively. Accordingly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Japanese eels as endangered and on its red list. Here we presented a high-quality genome assembly for Japanese eels and demonstrated that large chromosome reorganizations occurred in the events of third-round whole-genome duplications (3R-WRDs). Several chromosomal fusions and fissions have reduced the ancestral protochromosomal number of 25 to 19 in the Anguilla lineage. A phylogenetic analysis of the expanded gene families showed that the olfactory receptors (group δ and ζ genes) and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels expanded significantly. Both gene families are crucial for olfaction and neurophysiology. Additional tandem and proximal duplications occurred following 3R-WGD to acquire immune-related genes for an adaptive advantage against various pathogens. The Japanese eel assembly presented here can be used to study other Anguilla species relating to evolution and conservation.

North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio velocity variations affect body length and distribution of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in Taiwan and Japan

The larval stage of Japanese eel travels a substantial distance over a long duration through the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and the Kuroshio, and the spawning behavior of mature eels leads to monthly arrival waves in eastern Taiwan between November and February. The total length (TL) of the glass eel relates to its larval duration and age; therefore, the TL can indicate the larval duration. The monthly mean TLs of eels along eastern Taiwan from 2010 to 2021 were used to estimate the batch age, and the recruitment patterns and relative abundances were compared. The TLs of glass eels followed a normal distribution, and the estimated ages were highly correlated with their mean TLs. Early recruit TLs were significantly greater than those of late recruits. The mean tracer drift time was longer in early recruitment months (November–December) than in later dates (February–March). The recruitment lag between Taiwan and Japan was approximately 1–1.5 months, with relative more abundance in Taiwan for the early recruits and in Japan for the late recruits. Speculated cohorts followed the main streams of the NEC and Kuroshio, and the monthly velocity changes of these currents could affect the mean TLs as well as the distribution patterns of Japanese glass eels in Taiwan and Japan.

Current Dependent Dispersal Characteristics of Japanese Glass Eel around Taiwan

Japanese eel larvae are passively transported to the East Asian Continental Shelf by the North Equatorial Current, Kuroshio and Kuroshio intrusion currents, and coastal currents. Previous studies have investigated the dispersal characteristics and pathways of Japanese glass eels. However, there are still limitations in these studies. According to long-term (2010–2020) catch data from the Fisheries Agency in Taiwan, the distribution and time series of glass eels recruitment to Taiwan are closely related to the surrounding ocean currents. Recruitment begins in eastern Taiwan via the mainstream Kuroshio and in southern Taiwan via the Taiwan Strait Warm Current. In central Taiwan, recruitment occurs from southern Taiwan, as well as from mainland China via the southern branch of the China Coast Current (CCC). The latest recruitment occurred in northern Taiwan and mainly comprised glass eels from mainland China via the northern branch of the CCC. A stronger monsoon during the La Niña phase could affect the recruitment time series in northern and eastern Taiwan. This study suggests that the recruitment directionality of glass eels is an indicator of the flow field of ocean/coastal currents and elucidates the dispersal characteristics of glass eels in the waters around Taiwan.

Potential Effect of the Intrusion of the Kuroshio Current into the South China Sea on Catches of Japanese Eel (Anguilla Japonica) in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait

This study examined the effect of the intrusion of the Kuroshio Current (KC) into the South China Sea (SCS) and the Taiwan Strait (TS) (SCS–TS region) on changes in catches of larval A. japonica in the traditional fishing ground waters of Gaoping near southwestern Taiwan in the SCS–TS region. First, the oceanic environment and recruitment trends from 1967 to 2019 were investigated based on secondary data. Then, field surveys were conducted to obtain primary data regarding the intrusion of the KC into the SCS, as well as the changes in the fishing sites and catches of A. japonica in the fall and winter of 2014–2015. Hence, the association between oceanic conditions and the number of A. japonica migrating into the SCS–TS region was explored. From 1967 to 2019, the recruitment proportion in the fishing grounds that formed due to the Kuroshio Branch Current (PKSBC) fluctuated significantly. Overall, positive values were observed for the Oceanic Niño Index for each year with a PKSBC > 50%, corresponding to El Niño conditions. In each year with a PKSBC > 70%, a looping path and a warm–core eddy appeared.

Larval Performance of Amphidromous and Landlocked Atyid Shrimp Species in the Genus Paratya Under Different Temperature and Salinity Conditions

Freshwater shrimps in the family Atyidae exhibit one of two life history traits: amphidromy, in which planktonic larvae develop in the sea; and landlocked, in which lecithotrophic larvae develop in freshwater. Temperature and salinity are the most important environmental factors that affect the survival, duration, and growth of decapod crustacean larvae. Larvae of landlocked shrimps are known to retain the ancestral habit of amphidromy, i.e., the ability to develop to the juvenile stage in saline water. Faster development exhibited by large larvae of landlocked shrimps is considered an adaptation that allows the larvae to stay in or near parental habitats. Therefore, information on larval performance under different temperature and salinity conditions is essential to obtain a better understanding of population connectivity through marine larval dispersal in amphidromous shrimps as well as larval adaptation to freshwater environments in landlocked shrimps. We examined the effects of temperature and salinity on the larval performance of two closely related atyid shrimps in the genus Paratya: the amphidromous P. compressa and the landlocked P. improvisa. Larvae were reared under the 25 combinations of five different temperatures (20, 23, 26, 29, and 32°C) and salinity levels (4.25, 8.5, 17, 25.5, and 34 ppt). In P. compressa, the rate of larvae that survived into the juvenile stage decreased linearly with increasing temperature and the larvae adapted to a wider range of salinity (8.5-34 ppt), though larval mortality increased at the high salinity (34 ppt) under the higher temperature conditions. In P. improvisa, larval survival rates were higher under a wider range of temperatures (20-29°C) in brackish water (4.25-17 ppt). Thus, P. compressa larvae may disperse broadly under the high salinity conditions of the open sea, but oceanic currents with high temperature and high salinity conditions may act as a barrier to restrict larval dispersion northwards from the southern islands. Paratya improvisa larvae adapted to a wider range of temperatures in natural freshwater environments and larval duration was shorter in P. improvisa than in P. compressa under the wide range of temperature and salinity conditions. Our results also highlight the retention strategy by which landlocked P. improvisa larvae stay in or near parental habitats.

New clues on the Atlantic eels spawning behavior and area: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hypothesis

The Sargasso Sea has long been considered as the only spawning area for Atlantic eels, despite the absence of direct observations. The present study raises a novel scenario, deviating from Schmidt’s dogma, begins with a review of historical and recent observations that were combined to build up a global theory on spawning ecology and migration behavior of Atlantic eels. From this, it is argued that a favorable spawning area could be located eastward of Sargasso Sea at the intersection between the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the oceanic fronts. Ocean circulation models combined with 3D particle-tracking method confirmed that spawning at this specific area would result in larval distribution fitting the field observation. This study explores the hypothesis that leptocephali are able to swim and orientate to reach their specific growth areas. It proposes a novel framework about spawning ecology, based on orientation, navigation and meeting cues of silver eels to the spawning area. Together this framework may serve as a stepping-stone for solving the long-lasting mystery of eel reproduction which first came out 2,400 years ago and promotes the understanding of oceanic migration and reproduction of marine organisms.

Influence of ocean circulation and the Kuroshio large meander on the 2018 Japanese eel recruitment season

Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) recruitment to Japan was very low during the early 2017−2018 recruitment season when most glass eels are usually caught, but catches increased in the late recruitment season when recruitment usually decreases. Concurrently, the Kuroshio meander south of Japan had formed again after the previous event ended in 2005. The role of the large meander and ocean circulation features such as the North Equatorial Current (NEC) in the unusual 2017−2018 Japanese eel recruitment timing-pattern was investigated using a three-dimensional particle tracking model that simulated swimming behaviors of virtual larvae (v-larvae) in addition to their drift in ocean currents. Four recruitment seasons were selected for when the Kuroshio large meander was present (2004−2005, 2017−2018) or absent (2009−2010, 2015−2016), and when NEC was shifted north (2004−2005, 2015−2016) or south (2009−2010, 2017−2018). The simulated recruitment timing-patterns were similar to the actual recent-year recruitment, with no early recruitment period v-larvae arrival to southern Japan and increased late period recruitment occurring. Rather than being related to the presence of the Kuroshio large meander, the late arrival appeared to be caused by a southward shifted, weak North Equatorial Current near the spawning area, a longer Subtropical Countercurrent eddy region retention time, and a weak Kuroshio during the early migration and recruitment period of those years. In the late recruitment period, the Kuroshio was stronger than other selected years near the East China Sea and south of Japan and v-larvae were transported more rapidly. The Kuroshio large meander may influence local eel recruitment in Japan, and the recirculation formed by the large meander could potentially enhance recruitment to the Tokai region. Oriented (northwestward) swimming v-larvae were less affected by the large meander, and showed higher recruitment success than those using along-current swimming. Although the Kuroshio large meander did not seem to be responsible for the unusual recruitment pattern in 2018, how Japanese eel larvae and glass eels actually cross out of the Kuroshio and reach coastal waters in Japan remains to be explored.

Expansion of the Northern Geographical Distribution of Land Hermit Crab Populations: Colonization and Overwintering Success of Coenobita purpureus on the Coast of the Boso Peninsula, Japan

The present study aimed to elucidate the population dynamics of land hermit crabs on the coast of the Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, which is the northern limit of their geographical distribution. We conducted monthly field surveys at four sites from April 2012 to December 2014 and visually searched for crabs. Laboratory experiments were also conducted to evaluate the overwintering ability of two species, Coenobita purpureus and C. rugosus, which were detected during the field surveys; adult crabs and laboratory-raised juveniles were exposed to low-temperature conditions that simulated the in situ temperatures during the early overwintering period. Newly landed juveniles first appeared in August. They were identified as either C. purpureus or C. rugosus, with C. purpureus being the dominant species. Early juveniles grew until October. The abundance of early juveniles decreased with decreasing air temperatures, and dead individuals were found during the overwintering period. The low-temperature tolerance ability of C. purpureus was stronger than that of C. rugosus. Some crabs successfully overwintered, and all were identified as C. purpureus. The growth and overwintering success of juveniles varied among the survey sites depending on the local temperature regime. Our results highlight the frontier for expanding the northern geographical distribution of land hermit crab populations by the colonization and overwintering success of C. purpureus.

Morphological and molecular study on Yininemertespratensis (Nemertea, Pilidiophora, Heteronemertea) from the Han River Estuary, South Korea, and its phylogenetic position within the family Lineidae

Outbreaks of ribbon worms observed in 2013, 2015, and 2017-2019 in the Han River Estuary, South Korea, have caused damage to local glass-eel fisheries. The Han River ribbon worms have been identified as Yininemertespratensis (Sun & Lu, 1998) based on not only morphological characteristics compared with the holotype and paratype specimens, but also DNA sequence comparison with topotypes freshly collected near the Yangtze River mouth, China. Using sequences of six gene markers (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone H3, histone H4, 16S rRNA, and COI), the phylogenetic position of Y.pratensis was inferred among other heteronemerteans based on their sequences obtained from public databases. This analysis firmly placed Y.pratensis as a close relative to Apatronemertesalbimaculosa Wilfert & Gibson, 1974, which has been reported from aquarium tanks containing tropical freshwater plants in various parts of the world as well as a wild environment in Panama.