Exploring species diversity, phylogenetic systematics, and morphological evolution of the grenadier genus Coelorinchus

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14509
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 40030:Aquatic bioproduction science-related
• Research Institution: Kochi University (2022); Tokai University (2018-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Nakayama Naohide 高知大学, 教育研究部自然科学系理工学部門, 講師 (40781894)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 分類学 / 生物多様性 / 形態学 / 深海魚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study revised taxonomy of the grenadier genus Coelorinchus Giorna, 1809 both at subgeneric and species levels. In order to revise subgeneric classification, 13 species groups (each of which was assumed to be a subgenus) were re-defined, and their diagnostic features and included species were clarified. A number of taxonomic problems has been solved based on new species descriptions, redescriptions of known species, and discussion of synonymy, and a taxonomic monograph was published for species distributed in the northwestern Pacific around Japan. Distributional information of all species was summarized based on literature surveys and the specimens examined, and zoogeographical characteristics of the genus in the northwestern Pacific around Japan were discussed.

Free Research Field

魚類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究対象のトウジン属は水産的に重要なタラ最大の属であり，一部の種は漁獲され，未利用資源としての可能性も高い．しかし，過去に世界レベルの分類学的再検討が一度もなされておらず，亜属と種の両レベルで分類が混乱していた．本研究により，属内の分類学的な整理が飛躍的に進み，日本周辺の北西太平洋では，長年未解明であった分類学的問題が一掃された．また，この海域における本属魚類の分布パーターンやその動物地理学的特性が詳細に解明された．本研究の成果は，本属魚類を対象とした水産学を含むあらゆる分野の基礎資料として重要である．