Night-time vertical distribution and abundance of small epipelagic and mesopelagic fishes in the upper 100 m layer of the Kuroshio-Oyashio Transition Zone in Spring

ABSTRACT:   In order to simultaneously compare vertical distributions of small pelagic fishes and mesopelagic fishes during the night in the upper 100 m, one oblique and 11 horizontal tows of large-sized (opening area 480 m²) trawl operations were conducted at different depths in the Kuroshio–Oyashio Transition Zone during 20–22 May 1995. While Japanese sardine Sardinops melanostictus and Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus were concentrated in the upper 20 m, mackerels Scomber spp. were collected uniformly in the upper 80 m layer. Myctophid fishes Ceratoscopelus warmingii, Diaphus kuroshio, Diogenichthys atlanticus , Myctophum asperum , Notoscopelus spp. mostly N. resplendens , and Symbolophorus californiensis , a gempylid Nealotus tripes , a microstomatid Lipolagus ochotensis and a phosichthyid Vinciguerria nimbaria were dominant components of mesopelagic fishes that ascended to the upper 100 m layer at night, where these mesopelagic fishes concentrated at depths of 20–80 m. In the upper 20 m layer, Japanese anchovy comprised 60% of the total wet weight of all fishes followed by D. atlanticus (3%), C. warmingii (2%) and S. californiensis (2%). Juvenile myctophids were dominant in the upper 20 m layer compared to deeper layers.