Nigorobuna
| Carassius auratus grandoculis | |
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| Subspecies: | C. a. grandoculis
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| Trinomial name | |
| Carassius auratus grandoculis | |
Carassius auratus grandoculis is a species of fresh-water ray-finned fish of the genus Carassius, the goldfish genus. (The genus is sometimes called the crucian carp genus, leading to some confusion that it might be the crucian carp species, which it is not).
This carp is an endemic subspecies to Japan, and its habitat limited to Lake Biwa, its tributaries and distributaries, irrigation canals.
Its Japanese name is nigorobuna (ニゴロブナ). One theory has it that it earned the name "ni-gorō-buna" (似五郎鮒) meaning "resembling (gen)gorō-buna", because when it attains sizes of 1 foot+ length, it begins to be mistaken for gengorō-buna (源五郎鮒), a closely related species also endemic to the lake[2].
Morphology
Grows to 35cm (13¾ inches)[3] [4] total length at maturity. Shape resembles the nagabuna or [[{{{1}}}]][5] that populate Lake Suwa; body depth is short, breadth is wide[6]. The head is large, with a ventricular contour that is charcteristically ridged(?)[6]. The mouth slit is slanted upwards[6]. Around 61（or 52~72) gill rakers can be counted, and the dorsal fin rays consist of 1 spine and 17 (or 15~18) soft rays. The anal fin has 1 spine and 5 soft rays[6]. The basal length of the dorsal fin is rather long[6]. The total length is 2.7x[6] the body depth.
Behavior
Young larvae and juveniles are found on the surface and meium depths deep within the reed growths[6] around the lake, in other words, inlets rich in aquatic plants[7]．Adults occupy shallower waters in summer, and move to deeper waters during the cold winter months．
One study (Hirai 1969) showed that when larvae of about 1cm length were compare, nigorbuna was "scarce" feeding on algae, compared with local "genogoro-buna", which had 25-50% algal digestive tract conten by bulk. The fish also showed a preference for certain water fleas over another, relying heavily on Chydorus spp. (
Data related to Chydorus at Wikispecies) and to a lesser extent on Mesocyclops. By contrast, the gengoro-buna kept in the same enclosure preferred wheel animals (rotifer spp.). Both fry (larvae) largely ignored other types of zooplankton (such as Alona, Scapholeberis, and copepodid larvae) which were plentiful[8]. As they grow into juveniles exceeding 1cm the nigorobuna begin exhibiting behavior of pecking at aquatic plants to feed on attached algae, so by the time they attain 2cm lengths[6], algae (and rotifers, small percentage) account for half their diet[9]. When they grow larger they capture semi-bottom dwelling zooplanktons[6].
They adults spawn from April to June, laying eggs upon aquatic plants when water levels rise due to rainy season[6]. The hatchlings live by the reedy shore, move offshore as they grow, reaching full size in 2~3 years[10].
Uses
This is a highly prized fish commercially, made into authentic funazushi, salted and fermented in rice. It is a local delicacy of Shiga Prefecture. It is one of the surviving relics of traditional fermented sushi known as narezushi.
The authentic species is said to make superior funazushi that is tender down to the bones, in contrast to imitations now being made by substituting the gengoro-buna, Carassius cuvieri[11]. The ginbuna (Carassius auratus langsdorfii is also said to be used as a substitute.
Fishing regulations
Annual catch estimated to be 500 tons in 1965 fell to 178 tons by 1989, and drastically down to 18 tons by 1997[10], so that efforts were begun to release fisheries raised spawn into nearby rice paddies connected with the water system[10]. Nowadays, the species is also farmed in Saitama Prefecture[12].
Shiga Prefecture, in its announced project to recover the fish stock, promulgated an imperative through its Lake Biwa Fisheries Management Commission, effective April 1, 2007, prohibiting the capture of fish measuring 22cm or less[13].
The devastaion of numbers is blamed on habitat loss as well as introduction of nuisance alien species such as black bass and bluegill into the Lake Biwa system.
References
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Carassius auratus+grandoculis" in FishBase. April 2006 version.
- ^ Hitomi, Hitsudai, d. 1701 (1981), Yoshii, Hatusko; Shimada, Isao (eds.), 本朝食鑑(Honchō shokkan) (snippet), Heibonsha, p. 267, ASIN B000J80JPO
{{citation}}: Unknown parameter|vol=ignored (|volume=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)又此魚ノ大ナルモノ、一尺二三寸位ナルモノハ源五郎鮒二似タリテ、故ニ似五郎ト呼ブト云フ説ヲ優レリトス - ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (1985). "Carassius cuvieri" in FishBase. 1985 version.
- ^ Gomei & Furukawa 2005Shokuzai kenko daijiten",p.303 gives 35-40cm (13¾-15¾ inches)
- ^ The MOE Red databook guves "subspecies 1", which conflicts with Fishbase, which gives subpecies C. a. buergeri
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j NIES 2012(website) citing 川那部 2002 (Ninon no tansuigyo = fresh water fishes of japan)
- ^ Hirai 1969
- ^ Hirai 1969, p. 124, Tables 1
- ^ Hirai 1969, p. 124, Tables 2
- ^ a b c Fisheries Management Division 2007
- ^ Gomei & Furukawa 2005, p.303
- ^ Kumagai, Masahiro(熊谷正裕) (2011). [tp://books.google.co.jp/books?id=0RfbNoaKDvIC&pg=PA40 日本タナゴ釣り紀行] (preview). Tsuribito-sha. ISBN 9784885361883.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|isbn10=ignored (help), p.40 - ^ Lake Biwa Fisheries Management Commission 2007
- Gomei, Noriharu(五明紀春); Furukawa, Tomoko(古川知子) (2005), 食材健康大事典: 502品目1590種まいにちを楽しむ(Shokuzai kenko daijiten..) (preview), Jijitsushi shuppan kyoku, p. 303, ISBN 9784788705616
{{citation}}: Text "和書" ignored (help).p.303 - NIES (3/30/2012). "Carassius auratus grandoculis". National Institute of Environmental Studies.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - 川那部 (2002). 日本の淡水魚 第3版(Nihon no tansuigyo 3rd ed.). 山渓カラー名鑑. Yama to Keikoku sha(山と渓谷社).
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Hirai, Kenichi (平井 賢一) (1969), "びわ湖の水性植物帯におけるカワチブナとびわ湖産フナ幼魚の食性の比較", Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Kanazawa University. Natural science, 18: 123–131
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- Lake Biwa Fisheries Management Commission (2007). "ニゴロブナの資源回復に係る漁獲規制について(Fishing regulation conderning the recoveing of nigoro-buna resources". Retrieved April 4,2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Fisheries Management Division (2007). "ニゴロブナ(Nigorobuna)". Retrieved April 4,2012.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Invalid|ref=harv(help)