On the biology of the white-spotted greenling Hexagrammos stelleri and the masked greenling H. octogrammus (Hexagrammidae) from Taui Bay of the sea of Okhotsk

Abstract

Greenlings of the genus Hexagrammos are widely distributed in the Pacific waters of the Asiatic coast (Rass, 1962; Rutenberg, 1962; Lindberg and Krasyukova, 1987). They lead a near-bottom mode of life, live in a coastal zone among rocks and algae, and descend to deeper layers during colder times of the year. In Taui Bay, Hexagrammos stelleri and H. octogrammus are common; they often cohabitate, playing a considerable biocenotic role in coastal communities. In addition, both greenlings are among the most numerous fish of the coastal zone and are important items of amateur fishery. Data on the ecology and biology of these species in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk are rather scarce and mainly concentrate on a description of the range and habitat depths (Shmidt, 1950; Rutenberg, 1962; Chereshnev et al., 2001; Fedorov et al., 2003). Our paper considers some biological issues of the above species of greenlings from Taui Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk.