LITTORAL ICHTHYOFAUNA OF MATUA ISLAND, KURIL ISLANDS

Abstract

As part of the XXI Kamchatka-Kuril expedition of the Russian Geographical Society, with the assistance of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, a survey of the littoral ichthyofauna of Matua Island was carried out in 2017. Fishes were caught by hand under stones in tidal pools and with a net during low tide. Fishing was performed in three areas: Cape Klyuv, Cape Yurlova, and Dvoynaya Bay. The fish caught were fixed in 6% formalin. Laboratory processing was carried out: the total length TL was measured with an accuracy of 1 mm, weighed with an accuracy of 0.1 g. Representatives of the families Cottidae, Hexagrammidae, Liparidae, Pholidae, Stichaeidae, Zoarcidae were found in the littoral areas. The size characteristics of the family representatives discovered, and the areas and depth of their capture were presented. In the littoral zone, we found a number of species previously not recorded from this area in the literature. The species compositions of the littoral ichthyofauna of Paramushir Island, Matua Island, Iturup Island, Shikotan Island and Kunashir Island were compared. Only the Stippled gunnel, Rhodymenichthys dolichogaster and the Frog sculpin, Myoxocephalus stelleri were found shared by all those islands. The ichthyofauna of Matua Island shows the greatest similarity to that of Paramushir Island.