Annual and seasonal changes in the commercial catch of rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens in Harima-nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan

Abstract

To assess the commercial catch and fishing ground of rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens in Harima-nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan, we investigated 11 years of recent data from seven fishery cooperatives in the Okayama, Kagawa and Tokushima Prefectures. The annual catch variations in the three prefectures were similar from 2004-2014, and catches were high in 2011-2014, especially in 2011. The fish were caught from May to December. The center of the fishing ground with the most abundant fish shifted from western Harima-nada (Okayama Prefecture) to eastern Harima-nada (Tokushima Prefecture) near the Kii Channel with the warm water from September to November 2011. The fish most likely could not survive over the winter in Harima-nada due to the low water temperature (approximately 8°C). This suggested that the fish might move from Harima-nada to the Kii Channel from November to December for wintering.