Two anthiine fishes from Sagami Bay are described as new: Plectranthias altipinnatus and Anthias (Mirolabrichthys) flavoguttatus. The former is closely related to Plectranthias morgansi (Smith) from Kenya, but biffers from it in having a larger number of dorsal rays, a smaller number of branched caudal rays, a lower body, smaller eyes, and small scales on the soft dorsal and anal fins basally.The latter closely resembles Anthias lori Fourmanoir et Laboute (syn. Mirolabrichthys imeldae Burgess) from New Caledonia, differing in its longer first anal spine, smaller number of pored lateral line scales and coloration.

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Reproductive behavior, spawning season and development of eggs and larvae of Mugilogobius abei were studied. Materials used in this study were taken periodically from Takahama Channel, Tokyo Bay, during the period from April to October, 1979.The spawning season seems to continue from April to August, with a peak in May.Spawning was accomplished at least more than one time during the spawning season.The oval eggs were 0.98 mm (mean) in length, 0.45 mm (mean) in breadth.Eggs hatched 97 hours after their discovery at 24.0°-24.6°C.The larvae reached the juvenile phase and wholly abandoned their planktonic mode of life 44 days after hatching at 22.5°-29.1°C. It was assumed that larvae in the field return, not immediately, but rather gradually to the native habitat, after completing the planktonic mode of life.

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Differences in meristic characters and body proportions in five races of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, were studied to find racial characteristics.Individuals of each race were raised under different conditions: (1) in a pond fertilized with soy lees; (2) in running-water ponds with artificial feeding;or (3) in standing-water ponds with artificial feeding.Individuals of each race, even raised in different environments, are distinguishable in appearance. For the counts, the races were ranked on the basis of statistically significant differences on the mean found under nearly all these three conditions: mirror carp≈scaly German carp>Yamato carp>asagi carp>wild carp.For the proportional measurements, the rank was as follows: mirror carp>scaly German carp> asagi carp Yamato carp wild carp.Domesticated European carp had higher meristic counts and greater measurements than domesticated Japanese carp in almost all the items examined, and wild carp had the lowest counts and smallest measurements in many items.

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The hypothalamo-hypophyseal system and the thyroid gland of the adult and immature sailfish caught off Sado Island in the Sea of Japan were studied histologically.Seven types of glandular cells were distinguishable in the adenohypophysis.The thyrotroph of immature fish was distinct and the thyroid gland showed a hyperactive state.Due to postspawning a large number of gonadotrophs in the adult fish were found in the process of vacuolization and degranulation.A considerable amount of aldehyde fuchsin stainable neurosecretory material was laden in the cells of the nucleus preopticus, axonal tract and pars nervosa.The nucleus lateralis tuberis consisted mainly of two portions, the pars lateralis and pars ventromedialis.The cells of the pars ventromedialis in the adult fish were characterized by the presence of a large vesicular structure filled with acidophil coarse granules.

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Six species of the genus Bathygobius collected in Japan were compared with each other and with the type specimens of nominal species considered as synonyms of three species of the genus Bathygobius: B.petrophilus, B.scapulopunctatus, and B.fuscus listed by Koumans (1953).
The genus Bathygobius has the following combination of characters: a protuberance below the anterior nostril bordered by a groove containing pit organ line 6 on the upper side and by a groove containing pit organ line 7 on the posterior side, a median longitudinal groove containing pit organ line 10, which runs from the anterior margin of the cheek and divides into two posteriorly, the trapeziform mental flap bordered by a groove containing pit organ line 13 on the lateral side and by a groove containing pit organ line 14 on the posterior side, and free branched rays on the upper part of the pectoral fin.
Six species of the genus Bathygobius were found in Japan, i.e., B. fuscus, B.padangensis, B.cocosensis, B.petrophilus, B.cyclopterus, and B.cotticeps.
The differences between B.fuscus and B.padangensis are the least among the six species.Clearcut differences between them are only in the number of free branched rays on the pectoral fin and in coloration, although there are some specific differences in the number of pectoral fin rays and the angle between the lower and posterior axes of the first pterygiophore of the first dorsal fin. The number of differences between B.padangensis and B. cocosensis and between B.fuscus and B.cocosensis are only slightly greater. Although more differences are found between B.cyclopterus and B. cotticeps than those among the three species mentioned above, both of them have many common characteristics, some of which are specialized and are only found in these two species.
Based on the number of common and distinctive characteristics, the six species are divided into three types: B.fuscus, B.padangensis, and B.cocosensis; B.petrophilus; B.cyclopterus and B.cotticeps.
B.fuscus, B.padangensis, B.cocosensis, B.cyclopterus, and B.cotticeps are found in the tidal zone of rocky beaches, while B.petrophilus is collected near shore on substrates of sand or mixed mud and sand. B.fuscus, B.padangensis, and B.cocosensis are collected north of 35°N, but specimens of B.padangensis and B.cocosensis collected in the northern area of their range are extremely small in number compared with those of B.fuscus.B.petrophilus is collected between 33° and 35°N in Japan, but as the type specimens of Gobius petrophilus and Gobius villosus were collected in Indonesia, it is conjectured that B.petrophilus inhabits southern Japan south of 33°N.
The examination of the type specimens revealed that Gobius poecilichthys should be synonymized with B.fuscus which is different from Mapo fuscus sensu Jordan, Tanaka and Snyder (1913).M. fuscus sensu Jordan, Tanaka and Snyder is presumed to be synonymous with B.padangensis from the description of M.fuscus sensu Snyder (1912a) from Tanegashima, in which the difference between M.fuscus and Mapo poecilichthys was recorded, and from the specimens of M. fuscus sensu Snyder (1912b) from Naha.
Bathygobius sp.reported by Arai and Ida (1975), Zama and Fujita (1977), Hayashi and Itoh (1978) was identified as B.cocosensis on the basis of comparison with three specimens of that species (RMNH 4533) collected and identified by Bleeker.

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The leptocephali of the snake eel, Muraenichthys gymnotus Bleeker, were collected from the inshore waters of Tosa Bay, Kochi Pref., Japan, from October through December in 1976 and 1977.The premetamorphic larvae are small, ultimately reaching about 70 mm in total length just before the onset of metamorphosis.The number of larval teeth is expressed by 0-1 (grasping tooth) +0-V (anterior teeth) +0-8 (posterior teeth) in the upper jaw, and 0-1+I-VI+0-4 in the lower.
The pectoral fin is feeble and short, about 5 times in head length.The origin of the dorsal fin is situated slightly in advance of the anus.The total myomeres are 131 to 140, preanal myomeres 66 to 70, and postanal myomeres 64 to 71.The anterior margin of the gall-bladder is at level of myomeres 18 to 23, the 1st vertical blood vessel at myomeres 16 to 20, the last vertical blood vessel at myomeres 58 to 65.The alimentary canal is long and narrow, looped slightly in 6 to 9 places.The pigmentation of the body is conspicuous and characteristic.
From the results of our rearing experiment, it can be concluded that the metamorphosis of the larvae is accomplished rapidly in about one week.The larval teeth on both jaws are lost entirely on the 2nd day after the onset of metamorphosis, and the conical teeth begin to appear on the 5th day.During the metamorphosing stage the position of the anus slowly moves forward, then the dorsal fin originates above or slightly behind the anus on the 5th day.Small melanophores are scattered on the snout, lower lip and dorso-lateral surface of the body on the 4th day.The total length reaches its minimum size, 51.2 mm in average, on the 5th day.
The juvenile stage lasts for about 20 days in the rearing experiment.The body is well elongate, its depth is lower than 30 times in total length.The pectoral fin is scarcely visible or entirely absent.In the last juvenile stage the dorsal fin originates behind the anus at a distance about equal to the length of the snout, and the bodys are colored with light brown.
The premetamorphic larvae cease to be planktonic and burrow themselves into the sand bottom just before metamorphosis.The snake eel is a typical head burrower throughout metamorphosing and juvenile stages.

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Fish fauna at the inshore rocky reefs in Shirahama was investigated by underwater observations using SCUBA almost bimonthly during the period from 1973 to 1977.About 300 species were recorded in total.The number of species increased in summer and autumn, but decreased in winter.According to seasonal occurrence, the fishes observed are grouped into four types: 1) year-round resident species (Y-type);2) species which reside all the year round in years of warm winter waters, but appear only as juveniles from July to January in years of cold winter waters (Ya-type);3) species of which only juveniles appear almost restricted to the period from July to January (A-type);and 4) species which appear both as adults and juveniles only in the warmer period from May to November (S-type).Most of the species belonging to the A- and Ya-type are smaller tropical fish, strongly dependent on coral or rocky reefs, whose juveniles are seemingly transported to this area by the warm Kuroshio Current from southern areas, and very rarely survive over winter in coral or rock crevices.Most of S-type species are larger fish which probably migrate offshore to deep reefs during the colder period.Accordingly, there seems to be a difference in the range of elasticity in the modes of life of these various types.
Two main strategies against the low temperature in winter in southern or tropical species are suggested: “winter sleep” in substrate-dependent smaller species and “offshore migration” in mobile, larger species.

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Color anomalies occur frequently in hatchery-reared young of the flouder Paralichthys olivaceus.The anomalies usually accompany aberrations in other external characters as described for natural populations of flatfishes.
In normally colored individuals, the squamation on the ocular side started along the posteror half of the lateral line at 20.2 mm in total length and was complete at 54.0 mm.Squamation in individuals with anomalous coloration started on both ocular and blind sides at 22.1 mm in TL, and was completed at 51.8 mm.Though squamation started at the same part of the body in both normal and anomalous fish, development of squamation on both sides was more rapid in normal individuals than in anomalous ones.In normal fish greater than 50 mm in TL, scales were larger and had more spines and ridges than in anomalously colored individuals.

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Kelloggella is a group of small-sized gobiidfishes comprising four species.They arecharacterized by a naked, elongated body andtricuspid teeth.Their distribution extendsrather widely over the tropical and subtropicalPacific Ocean.However, records of thesespecies are scarce and sparse(Hoese, 1975;Sawada, 1977).Recently, I collected two specimens of Kelloggellacardinalis from a tide-pool on the eastcoast of Taiwan.These specimens representa new record of the genus Kelloggella fromTaiwan.Some external features of the specimensare presented to supplement the morphologicalinformation on Kelloggella cardinalis.

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Snyderina yamanokami Jordan et Starks, 1901(Congiopodidae:Scorpaeniformes)has beenrepresented by only two specimens fromsouthern Japan, one from Kagoshima(Jordanand Starks, 1901)and the other from Amami-Oshima(Yamakawa, 1976).Recently, weobtained another two specimens collectedfrom the Pacific coast of middle Honshu, Japan.One, 133.0 mm SL, SKSK 9772(SurugawanSuisan Seibutsu Kenkyukai), wasfound stranded on Miho Beach(35°32'N, 130°32'E), Suruga Bay, on June 1, 1977.The other, 180.2 mm SL, MTUF 24057(Museum, Tokyo University of Fisheries), was caught by a bottom gill-net at a depth of 90 m onan artificial fish bank constructed in SagamiBay off Nagai(35°12'N, 139°35'E)on December5, 1977.These two specimens represent the first record of this species from Honshu, Japan, and extend the range of the species northeastward to Sagami Bay.

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Three species of apogonid fishes, Apogoncompressus(Smith et Radcliffe), A.sangiensisBleek:er and A.gilberti(Jordan et Seale), wereecently collected from coastal waters r in Japan.These species, which are described here as newto Japan, were caught mainly at Kabira Bay, Ishitgaki Island(24°25'N, 124°10'E).A.saniensisis cgommon in the Ryukyu Islands.buthas beenp overlooked presumably because itwas confused with A.lateralis Valenciennes.The other two species seem not common inthe Ryukyu Islands.Most field surveys weremade by snorkeling and catching fish witha dip net.In this report some descriptions ofthese materials and brief comments are made.

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The chromosomes of the pleuronectiformfishes have been reported in 23 species fromfive families within eight families(Nogusa, 1960; Ohno and Atkin, 1966; Ivanov, 1969;Fukuoka and Niiyama, 1970; Barker, 1972;LeGrande, 1975).In the present paper, thekaryotypes of a paralichthyid, Paralichthvsolivaceus, and two cynoglossids, Paraplagusiajaponica and Cynoglossus interruptus are describedand compared with other members ofthis order.P.olivaceus has been karyotypedby Nogusa(1960)using the gonad sectionmethod, and the other species represent thesecond and third records on the karyotypesin the family Cynoglossidae respectively.

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The hexagrammid fishes are widely distributedin the North Pacific and in the adjacentBering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and Sea of Japan(Gorbunova, 1970).Taxonomy, osteology andsystematics of this family have been studiedby several investigators(Matsubara, 1955;Quast, 1965;Rutenberg, 1970;etc.).Concerningits karyology, however, only Hexagrammosoctogrammus and H.otakii have been studiedby Makino(1937)and Nogusa(1960).Bothauthors used the gonad section method.In this paper, the karyotypes of Pleurogrammusazonus, Agrammus agrammus, Hexagrammosstelleri and H.lagocephalus are

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