Mariana Ridge Research Articles

Faunal composition of deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields on the Izu–Bonin–Mariana Arc, northwestern Pacific

Hydrothermal vent fields in the deep-sea are highly productive and host highly specific animals adapted to chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. Knowledge on the distribution range of dominant fauna in these ecosystems help elucidate their biogeography, as well as contribute key baseline data for managing conservation strategies. Here, we report faunal compositions for two hydrothermal vent fields, Myojin-sho Caldera and the Bayonnaise Knoll, on the Izu–Bonin–Mariana (IBM) Arc, a submarine volcanic arc system in the western Pacific, and examined biogeographical subdivisions within. Similarity indices and subsequent analyses based on species presence/absence data revealed three groups, namely those in the Izu area, shallower vents in the Bonin–Mariana area, and deeper vents in the Bonin–Mariana area. This pattern of subdivision indicates that water depth and tectonic discontinuity, in this case the Sofugan Tectonic Line, contribute to the distribution ranges of vent specific animals on the IBM Arc, but the conjunction of Mariana and West Mariana ridges have little contribution. This is the first data for faunal subdivision of vents on the 9000 km-long submarine volcanic chain of the western Pacific extending further south of the IBM Arc, and further analyses on faunal distribution of other vents in this area and larval ecology of vent animals are required to understand subdivisions across the entire chain.

Evaluation from otolith Sr stable isotope ratios of possible juvenile growth areas of Japanese eels collected from the West Mariana Ridge spawning area

The widely distributed East Asian Japanese eel Anguilla japonica constitutes a single genetically homogeneous population with a single spawning area near the West Mariana Ridge. Otolith 87Sr/86Sr ratios of adults (categorized as “river“, “estuarine” or “sea” eels, according to their habitat use history determined from otolith Sr:Ca ratio analysis) collected from the spawning area in 2008 and 2009 were examined in an attempt to determine their juvenile growth areas. In addition, 87Sr/86Sr ratios of water samples from rivers in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan were determined. Otolith 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the “river”, “estuarine” and “sea” eels were 0.707793, 0.708580-0.709944 and 0.709068, respectively, and water sample ratios from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan were 0.7104320-0.7141010, 0.7190826-0.7227976, 0.7115523-0.7146914 and 0.706191-0.712484, respectively. “River” and “estuarine” eels, which had otolith 87Sr/86Sr ratios less than 0.7092 (seawater ratio), appeared to have inhabited Japanese rivers and/or estuaries because similarly low isotope ratios were recorded only from Japan. However, the juvenile growth areas of other eels were unknown, as their origins could not be determined from otolith 87Sr/86Sr ratios alone, and required further information regarding otolith elemental and isotope compositions.

First use of oceanic environmental DNA to study the spawning ecology of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 609:187-196 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12828 First use of oceanic environmental DNA to study the spawning ecology of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica Aya Takeuchi1, Shun Watanabe2,*, Satoshi Yamamoto3, Michael J. Miller4, Tatsuhiro Fukuba5, Tetsuya Miwa5, Tatsufumi Okino6, Toshifumi Minamoto3, Katsumi Tsukamoto1,4 1Graduate School of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan 2Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara 631-8505, Japan 3Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan 4Department of Marine Science and Resource, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan 5Marine Technology and Engineering Center, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan 6Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan *Corresponding author: swpc@nara.kindai.ac.jp ABSTRACT: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is emerging as an innovative tool to assess the distribution and biomass of species in aquatic environments that enables quick and non-invasive surveys compared to conventional sampling methods such as fishing, hydroacoustics, and diving observations. We applied eDNA analysis to spawning ecology research of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica in the western North Pacific for the first time. A preliminary laboratory experiment using tank water containing eels confirmed that our specific primers and probe could identify the Japanese eel from a small amount of eDNA (about 0.5 ng per PCR reaction). During a 19-20 May 2015 ocean survey at the southern West Mariana Ridge, seawater samples were collected at 12 water depths at 9 stations in the spawning area of A. japonica. Out of 108 seawater samples, DNA was successfully amplified from 3 samples, which were collected at 250 and 400 m. According to published research on Japanese eel spawning ecology and eDNA dynamics, the eDNA positive signals obtained from the oceanic survey could have been from adult Japanese eels or from larvae from the last spawning events. Thus onboard eDNA analysis proved to be a viable approach for detecting Japanese eels in their spawning area along the southern West Mariana Ridge. KEY WORDS: eDNA · Freshwater eel · Real-time PCR · Spawning ecology · Oceanic survey Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Takeuchi A, Watanabe S, Yamamoto S, Miller MJ and others (2019) First use of oceanic environmental DNA to study the spawning ecology of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 609:187-196. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12828 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 609. Online publication date: January 17, 2019 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.

Massive spawning behavior of the triplespine deepwater cardinalfish Sphyraenops bairdianus Poey, 1861 observed on an offshore sea mount in the West Mariana Ridge

Using a hydrographic echo sounder, we encountered an animal aggregation on a sea mount summit (350 m deep) at the West Mariana Ridge (14°07’ N, 142°48′ E). The aggregation suddenly ascended from the summit at civil dawn, and we were able to capture the ascending aggregation at the next dawn using a large midwater trawl net. Hundreds of fishes captured were determined to be Sphyraenops bairdianus (Poey, 1861). Hydrated eggs in the ovary were histologically confirmed, indicating that this species performed a massive spawning associated with an offshore sea mount and sunrise.

Seaward Migration Routes of Indigenous Eels, Anguilla japonica, A. marmorata, and A. bicolor pacifica, via Satellite Tags.

Shih-Chong Chen, Ching-Rong Chang, and Yu-San Han (2018) The spawning migration of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, along the western Mariana Ridge is considered one of the longest animal migrations. To establish an appropriate conservation policy for this species, a complete life cycle study is required, but the migratory routes of anguillid eels remain poorly documented. Anguilla japonica, A. marmorata, and A. bicolor pacifica are three common eel species in Taiwan. The present study used pop-up archival transmitting tags to track their movements during the oceanic phase of their migration. Twenty silver eels (farmed and wild) were tagged and released near the Gueishan and Liuchiu Islands. All three species in the Gueishan Island group were entrained in the Kuroshio Current, and pop-up tag data showed that, after 23 days, the farthest distance travelled was approximately 1,500 km, to the southern waters of Yakushima, Japan. In comparison, eels released near Liuchiu Island moved in the opposite direction, which suggests that they were influenced by the recirculation in the southwestern waters of Taiwan. The migration speed of eels was estimated to be between 12.9 km/d and 65.2 km/d. Several eels exhibited diel vertical migration behavior, moving into deeper water during the daytime and ascending into shallower waters at night. The farmed eels exhibited similar patterns of diel vertical migration to wild eels. The results of this study suggest that eels from Taiwan travel through the Kuroshio Current during their early migration, irrespective of species and source. Of importance, farmed eels appeared to behave similar to wild ones following artificial release. This information provides important rationale for releasing cultivated eels for resource enrichment programs.

Effect of ENSO events on larval and juvenile duration and transport of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica).

Spawning ground of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) is located near the West Mariana Ridge seamount. The species travels through the North Equatorial Current (NEC) and then enters the Kuroshio Current (KC) on the migration toward East Asian growth habitats. Therefore, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events serve as the potentially important drivers of interannual variability across the equatorial Pacific. Because the NEC bifurcation and salinity profiles are related to ENSO events, we investigated the influence of locations of the NEC bifurcation and salinity front on the success of larval entry to the KC by numerically modeling particle transport in ocean currents from 1972 to 2013 and possible effects on the size of glass eels at continental recruitment and, via otolithometry on the duration of larval migration. Circulation and hydrography used for particle tracking were obtained from the results of the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) high-resolution forecasting experiment. Our results demonstrated that during El Niño years, (1) the southward movement of the salinity front might cause the larvae to experience slower currents and (2) the northward movement of the NEC bifurcation might broaden the separation between their spawning ground and NEC bifurcation, thus prolonging the time needed for the larvae to enter the KC from their spawning ground, because of which the duration of entrainment in the water column and body size increase when eels reach estuarine waters. In addition, this might cause more water to flow into the Mindanao Current (MC), leading to a decline in the rate at which larvae get entrained into the KC.

Observation of a Gelatinous Octopod, Haliphron atlanticus, along the Southern West Mariana Ridge: A Unique Cephalopod of Continental Slope and Mesopelagic Communities

The circumglobal deep-sea gelatinous giant octopod, Haliphron atlanticus, reaches 4 m in length and uses both benthic and pelagic habitats in the upper 3000 m of the ocean during different life history stages, but it is rarely observed due to the deep-depths where it typically lives. It has been collected in trawls and observed a few times near continental margins or islands and has been identified in the stomach contents of deep-diving predators such as sperm whales and blue sharks or detected as body fragments after predation events. An individual H. atlanticus (~1 m in total length) was video-recorded at 12:21 for about 3 minutes in front of the Shinkai 6500 submersible at 586–599 m (6.5°C, salinity 34.4) along the West Mariana Ridge. It made no escape attempt as the submersible approached and it moved slowly up or down in front of the submersible. It was over the outer seamount-slope (bottom depth ~3208 m) ~50 km west of seamounts (≥1529 m summits), but how it fits into the mesopelagic food web along the ridge is unclear. More information is needed to understand the role of H. atlanticus in oceanic food webs and if it typically lives along seamount ridges.

Simulating the Oceanic Migration of Silver Japanese Eels.

The oceanic migration of silver Japanese eels starts from their continental growth habitats in East Asia and ends at the spawning area near the West Mariana Ridge seamount chain. However, the actual migration routes remain unknown. In this study, we examined the possible oceanic migration routes and strategies of silver Japanese eels using a particle tracking method in which virtual eels (v-eels) were programmed to move vertically and horizontally in an ocean circulation model (Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment 2, JCOPE2). Four horizontal swimming strategies were tested: random heading, true navigation (readjusted heading), orientation toward the spawning area (fixed heading), and swimming against the Kuroshio. We found that all strategies, except random swimming, allowed v-eels swimming at 0.65 m s−1 to reach the spawning area within eight months after their departure from the south coast of Japan (end of the spawning season). The estimated minimum swimming speed required to reach the area spawning within eight months was 0.1 m s−1 for true navigation, 0.12 m s−1 for constant compass heading, and 0.35 m s−1 for swimming against the Kuroshio. The lowest swimming speed estimated from tracked Japanese eels at sea was 0.03 m.s−1, which would not allow them to reach the spawning area within eight months, through any of the tested orientation strategies. Our numerical experiments also showed that ocean circulation significantly affected the migration of Japanese v-eels. A strong Kuroshio could advect v-eels further eastward. In addition, western Pacific ocean currents accelerated the migration of navigating v-eels. The migration duration was shortened in years with a stronger southward flow, contributed by a stronger recirculation south of Japan, an enhanced subtropical gyre, or a higher southward Kuroshio velocity.

Impacts of Interannual Ocean Circulation Variability on Japanese Eel Larval Migration in the Western North Pacific Ocean.

The Japanese eel larvae hatch near the West Mariana Ridge seamount chain and travel through the North Equatorial Current (NEC), the Kuroshio, and the Subtropical Countercurrent (STCC) region during their shoreward migration toward East Asia. The interannual variability of circulation over the subtropical and tropical regions of the western North Pacific Ocean is affected by the Philippines–Taiwan Oscillation (PTO). This study examines the effect of the PTO on the Japanese eel larval migration routes using a three-dimensional (3D) particle tracking method, including vertical and horizontal swimming behavior. The 3D circulation and hydrography used for particle tracking are from the ocean circulation reanalysis produced by the Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment 2 (JCOPE2). Our results demonstrate that bifurcation of the NEC and the strength and spatial variation of the Kuroshio affect the distribution and migration of eel larvae. During the positive phase of PTO, more virtual eels (“v-eels”) can enter the Kuroshio to reach the south coast of Japan and more v-eels reach the South China Sea through the Luzon Strait; the stronger and more offshore swing of the Kuroshio in the East China Sea leads to fewer eels entering the East China Sea and the onshore movement of the Kuroshio to the south of Japan brings the eels closer to the Japanese coast. Significant differences in eel migration routes and distributions regulated by ocean circulation in different PTO phases can also affect the otolith increment. The estimated otolith increment suggests that eel age tends to be underestimated after six months of simulation due to the cooler lower layer temperature. Underestimation is more significant in the positive PTO years due to the wide distribution in higher latitudes than in the negative PTO years.

Direct measurements of World Ocean tidal currents with surface drifters

AbstractVelocities of surface drifters are analyzed to study tidal currents throughout the World Ocean. The global drifter data set spanning the period 1979–2013 is used to describe the geographical structure of the surface tidal currents at global scale with a resolution of 2°. Harmonic analysis is performed with two semidiurnal, two diurnal, and four inferred tidal constituents. Tidal current characteristics (amplitude of semimajor axis, rotary coefficient, tidal ellipse inclination, and Greenwich phase) are mapped over the World Ocean from direct observations. The M2 currents dominate on all the shallow continental shelves with magnitude exceeding 60 cm/s. They are also substantial (4–5 cm/s) over the main deep topographic features such as the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, the Southwest Indian Ridge, and the Mariana Ridge. The S2 currents have amplitudes typically half the size of the M2 currents, with a maximum of about 30 cm/s. The K1 and O1 currents are important in many shallow seas. They are large in the vicinity of the turning latitudes near 30°N/S where they merge with inertial motions of the same frequency. They are also substantial in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea. Maps of rotary coefficients indicate that all tidal motions are essentially clockwise (anticlockwise) in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere. The rotary coefficient of the tidal currents is compared with the theory of freely and meridionally propagating baroclinic inertia‐gravity waves. The Greenwich phase of the M2 constituent has large‐scale coherent propagation patterns which could be interpreted as the propagation of the barotropic tide.

A new drifting underwater camera system for observing spawning Japanese eels in the epipelagic zone along the West Mariana Ridge

Spawning-condition Japanese eels Anguilla japonica, fertilized eggs, and newly-hatched preleptocephali have been captured, and studies for observing spawning eels with underwater camera systems have begun. This study describes a new, less invasive, free-drifting underwater camera observation system that was deployed from the research vessel (R/V) Natsushima in June 2013. Three drifting buoy camera systems (Una-Cam) with lights-on/lights-off programmed sequencing during daytime and nighttime hours were deployed over a period of seven days at 20 locations south of a salinity front along the southern West Mariana Ridge. Live artificially matured A. japonica eels held in transparent chambers were used as an attractant source through the release of reproductive pheromones and other odors. Each system was suspended from a buoy array at a depth of 174–200 m, with four cameras and three lights pointed downward at different angles towards the eel chamber. The Una-Cam systems were stable and were effective at recording images of fish, crustaceans, and gelatinous zooplankton. Olfactory cues may have attracted male and female Derichthys serpentinus eels, which showed what seemed to be reproductive behavior and attraction to the Japanese eels in the chamber. Una-Cam systems are capable of recording images of anguillid eels, if they approach, and may be useful for observing spawning eels in their offshore spawning areas.

Redescription of the spookfish Dolichopteryx anascopa Brauer 1901 (Argentinoidei: Opisthoproctidae)

The rare spookfish Dolichopteryx anascopa Brauer 1901, the original description of which was incomplete due to damage, is redescribed on the basis of the holotype and an additional single specimen collected from south of west Mariana Ridge, western North Pacific. It is easily distinguishable from other species of Dolichopteryx by the tubular eyes with an oval opaque layer on the ventral aspect, anal-fin base originating under the dorsal-fin base, pelvic-fin base inserted at ca. 3/5 of standard length, anus anterior to the dorsal-fin base, elongate pectoral- and pelvic-fin rays, an adipose fin present, 31–32 (= 8 + 1 + 22–23) gill rakers and 43 vertebrae.

Internal tide radiation from the Luzon Strait

AbstractThe M2, K1, and O1 internal tides originating in the Luzon Strait are investigated using the sea surface height measurements by multiple satellites ERS‐2, Envisat, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason‐1/2, and Geosat Follow‐On. A plane wave fit method is used to resolve multiple internal tides in arbitrary horizontal directions. The Luzon Strait is an energetic internal tide generation site, and radiates internal tides both westward into the South China Sea (SCS) and eastward into the western Pacific (WP). In the SCS, the K1 and O1 internal tides propagate over 1600 km, reaching the Vietnam coast; in the WP, they propagate over 2500 km and arrive to the Mariana Ridge and Guam. The K1 and O1 internal tides refract toward the Equator during propagation. The M2 internal tides in the SCS bifurcate into two beams. The northwestward beam is coincident with the frequent occurrence of internal solitary waves in this region, implying their causative relation. The phase speeds inferred from the altimetric along‐beam propagation agree with the theoretical values. Due to the influence of the Earth's rotation, the K1 and O1 phase speeds decrease remarkably from high to low latitudes. For the diurnal internal tides, the eastward radiation is about 50% greater than the westward radiation. For M2, the westward radiation is about two times the eastward radiation. The altimetric energy fluxes are about 50% of those in numerical model simulations.

Vertical body orientation by a snipe eel (Nemichthyidae, Anguilliformes) in the deep mesopelagic zone along the West Mariana Ridge

A nemichthyid eel apparently of the genus Avocettina was observed and video recorded during the day from a submersible operating above the deep western slope of the West Mariana Ridge at a depth of about 800 m. The eel was oriented vertically, head-upward, with its long-thin body held rigidly straight. It remained motionless for more than 1 min except for small constant oscillations of the tip of the tail. It showed no reaction to the presence of the approaching submersible until contacting it. This body position has been seen in nemichthyid eels previously by submersibles in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. It is postulated to be a prey or predator detection tactic that optimizes the use of the visual or lateral line senses. It may also be an efficient way to maintain a position or to move slowly through the water column without disrupting sensory function.

Spawning Sites of the Japanese Eel in Relation to Oceanographic Structure and the West Mariana Ridge

The Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, spawns within the North Equatorial Current that bifurcates into both northward and southward flows in its westward region, so its spawning location and larval transport dynamics seem important for understanding fluctuations in its recruitment to East Asia. Intensive research efforts determined that Japanese eels spawn along the western side of the West Mariana Ridge during new moon periods, where all oceanic life history stages have been collected, including eggs and spawning adults. However, how the eels decide where to form spawning aggregations is unknown because spawning appears to have occurred at various latitudes. A salinity front formed from tropical rainfall was hypothesized to determine the latitude of its spawning locations, but an exact spawning site was only found once by collecting eggs in May 2009. This study reports on the collections of Japanese eel eggs and preleptocephali during three new moon periods in June 2011 and May and June 2012 at locations indicating that the distribution of lower salinity surface water or salinity fronts influence the latitude of spawning sites along the ridge. A distinct salinity front may concentrate spawning south of the front on the western side of the seamount ridge. It was also suggested that eels may spawn at various latitudes within low-salinity water when the salinity fronts appeared unclear. Eel eggs were distributed within the 150–180 m layer near the top of the thermocline, indicating shallow spawning depths. Using these landmarks for latitude (salinity front), longitude (seamount ridge), and depth (top of the thermocline) to guide the formation of spawning aggregations could facilitate finding mates and help synchronize their spawning.

西マリアナ海嶺のウナギ産卵場に出現したニホンウナギ産卵親魚らしき映像

西マリアナ海嶺のウナギ産卵場に出現したニホンウナギ産卵親魚らしき映像

Erratum to: Video observation of an eel in the Anguilla japonica spawning area along the West Mariana Ridge

Erratum to: Video observation of an eel in the Anguilla japonica spawning area along the West Mariana Ridge

Video observation of an eel in the Anguilla japonica spawning area along the West Mariana Ridge

Some anguillid spawning areas are known based on collections of small larvae, but recently for the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica, adult spawners have been caught in trawls and their eggs and preleptocephali collected. The spawning area of A. japonica is located along the western side of the West Mariana Ridge, but the natural spawning behavior of this species or that of any other anguillid species has never been observed. This study reports on the first effort to observe spawning aggregations of anguillid eels that was conducted by the R/V Yokosuka using the Shinkai 6500 submersible and a Deep-Tow camera system in the A. japonica spawning area in July 2012. The submersible was deployed mostly at 200–800 m during daytime and the Deep-Tow was deployed mostly at 130–250 m during nighttime, both in multiple oblique depth tracks along linear transects. Various fishes and invertebrates were seen in the pelagic environment during day and night, but no spawning aggregations were observed. One eel was briefly recorded by a Deep-Tow camera at 20:13 on 17 July (2 days before new moon) at a depth of 179 m. The eel was recorded for <1 s as it passed in front of the camera. Its anterior body and head shape were consistent with a male A. japonica, or possibly a Derichthys serpentinus eel, but not with other mesopelagic eels. Because the tail region of the eel was not visible, species identification was not possible.

Discovery of a spawning area of the common Japanese conger Conger myriaster along the Kyushu-Palau Ridge in the western North Pacific

The common Japanese conger Conger myriaster is an important commercial coastal fisheries species in East Asia, but its spawning area has not been determined. A larval sampling survey was conducted in September 2008 along 136°E between 13°N and 22°N, which roughly followed the Kyushu-Palau Ridge in the western North Pacific. Twenty larval specimens were confirmed to be C. myriaster using DNA analysis. Two were newly hatched larvae (preleptocephali) 5.8 and 7.8 mm in total length (TL), which were caught at 17°N. The 5.8 mm TL larva was estimated to be 3–4 days after hatching, the youngest preleptocephalus (i.e., the earliest stage) of this species ever collected. Eighteen other leptocephali were caught at 18°N and 21°N, and these ranged from 18.6 to 40.0 mm TL. Based on these collections, we discerned that there is a spawning area of C. myriaster in the area along the Kyushu-Palau Ridge approximately 380 km south of Okinotorishima Island. Similar to the Japanese eel spawning area along the West Mariana Ridge, the Kyushu-Palau Ridge may play an important role as a landmark of the spawning area. The discovery of this offshore spawning area should lead us to a better understanding of the recruitment mechanisms of C. myriaster, and help to facilitate future international management efforts.

Genetic identification and morphology of naturally spawned eggs of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica collected in the western North Pacific

Eggs of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica collected in the western North Pacific were identified by onboard species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA nucleotide sequencing after the cruise. Fish eggs of various species were collected by large plankton net tows at 12 stations along the southern part of the West Mariana Ridge on 19–25 May 2009. A total of 43 fish eggs were distinguished morphologically as possibly being of A. japonica. Thirty-one of those were analyzed by PCR, which included 15 eggs collected at 12°50–55′N, 141°15–20′E (in 5 tows) that showed positive results. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences of eggs determined after the cruise indicated that 31 A. japonica eggs had been collected. The remaining eggs were of mesopelagic eel species (Serrivomeridae and Derichthyidae), or unidentified species. The morphological characteristics of the A. japonica eggs were consistent with those of artificially spawned eggs, except they had a slightly larger diameter. The egg diameter range did not overlap with those of mesopelagic eels of the Serrivomeridae, which often spawn in the same area as A. japonica. These results suggest that egg diameter and embryo shape can be used to morphologically identify naturally spawned A. japonica eggs.