Growth, mortality, and predatory impact on mesozooplankton of chub mackerel Scomber japonicus larvae in an upwelling system, southern Japan

Abstract

In the northern Satsunan area, southern Japan, upwellings generated by the intrusion of the Kuroshio branch current into Kagoshima Bay are observed at the bay's mouth once every two weeks in winter and spring, and the resulting nutrient supply promotes phytoplankton blooms. Currently, this is a key spawning and nursery habitat for chub mackerel Scomber japonicus in Japan. This study examined how water temperature and prey density influenced the growth, mortality, and predatory effects of S. japonicus larvae in the northern Satsunan area. Recent growth (measured as the average width of the last three otolith increments) of S. japonicus larvae was positively correlated with water temperature but not with prey density, indicating that prey abundance was adequate for larvae and that water temperature controlled their growth rate in the study area. The instantaneous daily mortality rate of S. japonicus larvae was 0.322 in 2021 and 0.252 in 2022 (equivalent to 27.5% mortality d⁻¹ in 2021 and 22.3% in 2022). The food requirements of S. japonicus larvae and mesozooplankton production were 0.00427 ± 0.00334 and 6.37 ± 3.04 mg DW m⁻³ d⁻¹, respectively. S. japonicus larvae had no significant predatory impact on mesozooplankton (0.0869 ± 0.0796%). The present study suggests that none of the plankton feeders have a significant top-down regulating effect on mesozooplankton biomass in the northern Satsunan area, which provides a good food environment for S. japonicus larvae.