2020 Volume 23 Issue 1 Pages 99-107
Prior to excavation work for a river dam, the Japan Water Agency built a cofferdam in the Maefukase River where the dam was to be built, to divert the river course through a diversion tunnel, in April 2018. As part of the diversion work, a 4-day study was conducted to capture and relocate the indigenous Andrias japonicus. The study captured 36 larvae less than 3 years old, which were hard to find in previous studies. It was learned that the larvae live under large rocks with flat bottoms and no gaps that could serve as a way in or out, along the river bank where are found the exposed roots of reeds and bamboo grass, therefore they were relocated to a similar habitat. The larvae were captured when the water level in the river was low, which confirmed the importance of draining the water prior to conducting surveys.
