Abstract
Lates japonicas, an endemic fish to the Pacific coast of western Japan, is recently known as Japanese lates or akame. The occurrence of larvae, juveniles and young smaller than about 100mm SL of akame has been restricted to eelgrass, Zostera japonica beds in tidal zones. This study revealed that juveniles and young ranging from 8.6 to 106.0mm in SL frequently occurred in brackish water plant communities other than Z. japonica. Communities of Vallisneria asiatice seemed to be important habitats for these fishes, because this plant occurred in many places and sometime formed pure and large communities. Mixed communities of Potamogeton malaianus and Myriophyllum spicatum were also important in upper tidal zone of the Koso River where to Z. japonicus beds were found. In addition, findings of these fishes from torn-off blades of V. asiatica and communities of Pharagmites australis, which forms extensive stands, strongly indicate that they adapt more diverse environments than previously thought.
