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A nursery site of the golden skate (Rajiformes: Rajidae: Bathyraja smirnovi) on the Shiribeshi Seamount, Sea of Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2011

James C. Hunt*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 18301, USA
Dhugal J. Lindsay
Affiliation:
Marine Biodiversity Research Programme, Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology, 2–15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237–0061, Japan
Raushan R. Shahalemi
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 18301, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J.C. Hunt, Department of Biology, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania 18301, USA email: jhunt@po-box.esu.edu
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Abstract

During a series of submersible surveys of the Shiribeshi Seamount, northern Sea of Japan, by the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Dolphin 3K’ and the human-occupied vehicle (HOV) ‘Shinkai 2000’ in July 2001, dense patches of golden skate eggs were observed. Given the lack of information for this species, an analysis was performed to estimate the abundance of the eggs and to ascertain if any patterns could be determined from the distribution of eggs on the sea-floor as recorded by the ROV and HOV video cameras. Eggs, including some with viable embryos, were found on only one of four ROV benthic transect surveys and one crewed submersible dive in the same location. The site where eggs were laid was relatively small and appeared to have been revisited through time. This work is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between East Stroudsburg University and the Marine Biodiversity Research Programme at the Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology to characterize the midwater and benthic deep-sea faunas around Japan.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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