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Miyakojima fish (Tohoku area)
Hello everyone!
Suddenly, have you ever thought about what kind of fish inhabit Miyako Island?
Many people think of Miyakojima and its vast, clear, and beautiful sea.
Of course, this is true, but the reason for the clear waters is that there are no high mountains, so there are no rivers, and mud does not get mixed in with the sea.
The sea of Miyako Island is such a nutrient-rich area with colonies of coral and many fish.
On Miyako Island, there are many activities such as snorkeling where you can observe fish closely, and depending on the tour, you can even cook and eat the fish you catch yourself!
Miyako Island is home to many fish that are not easily seen on the mainland, so be sure to look for them when you visit.
This article introduces in detail the fish that inhabit Miyako Island.
We hope you will find this information useful.
目次
The amount of living creatures is different! Creatures of Miyako Island
Did you know that Miyako Island was originally formed by coral uplift?
It is a natural phenomenon that is hard to imagine coral rising up and becoming an island.
As a result, corals grow in clusters around Miyako Island, and a wide variety of fish inhabit the vicinity of the corals.
Thanks to this, Miyako Island is home to colorful tropical fish that are hard to find on the mainland.
In addition, as I mentioned earlier, Miyako Island has beautiful, very clear waters with no large mountains or rivers, so it is possible to see fish with a clear view.
It is also a great field for fish watching.
Activities to meet the fishes of Miyako Island
As mentioned in the introduction, Miyakojima is an island formed by coral uplift, with many fish living near the coral.
In addition, the excellent transparency of the water, with almost no inflow of water into the ocean, allows for close observation of fish even from the sea.
However, while it is fun to watch them from the sea, it would be great if there was an activity that would allow us to observe such fish of Miyako Island more closely and more closely.
So, here are some marine activities that allow you to enjoy the fish of Miyako Island up close and personal.
snorkeling
Snorkeling is a standard activity not only on Miyako Island but also at resorts.
The beaches of Miyako Island are shallow, which means that even beginners and those who cannot swim can enjoy snorkeling and observing fish with ease.
On clear days, the sea of Miyakojima is so clear that the visibility is as high as 50 meters!
Besides colorful corals and tropical fish, you may also encounter sea turtles.
Please look for it!
diving
For those for whom snorkeling is not enough, or for those who wish to explore Miyakojima's ocean and observe its creatures in more detail, diving is recommended.
Diving may require a license or seem like a hurdle to overcome for casual enjoyment, but in fact, this is not the case.
On Miyako Island, you can choose a tour according to your level, such as a diving experience tour that you can participate in without a diving license, or a fun diving tour that allows license holders to step up to a higher level.
Since snorkeling is a short dive, the area you can go to is inevitably limited.
But if you have come all the way to Miyakojima, you want to take the time to observe popular creatures such as bears, corals, and sea turtles!
Diving, on the other hand, allows you to go deeper into the water and see a variety of fish that you would not see snorkeling.
In addition to the eda corals found in the shallows, colonies of corals such as isobana and rufous corals can be observed in the deeper areas.
If you are a first time diver, please make your diving debut on Miyako Island!
20 Fish of Miyako Island
Next, we will introduce some of the fish that inhabit Miyako Island.
There is a wide variety of fish, so you may find some you don't know!
(1) Akamibai
The red meibai is a member of the grouper family with another name, yukata grouper.
Its habitat is the coasts of warm waters of Miyako Island and Okinawa.
They are around 40 cm long and have reddish bodies with red and blackish spots all over their bodies.
It is also a popular ingredient that has been on tables throughout Okinawa, including Miyako Island, for a long time, and masu-ni (boiled red meibai) is very popular on Miyako Island.
(2) Irabucher
The ilabucha, one of Okinawa's most prized fish, is a large bulefish that lives in the coral sea.
It has a large hump on its head and a bright blue body color, giving it a tropical image.
Because of its strong visual impact, people tend to hesitate to eat it, but it is actually very tasty and can be enjoyed as sashimi, simmered, or grilled as it is!
It is one of the fish that you should definitely try when you visit Okinawa, including Miyako Island.
(iii) Red goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanciolensis)
The redlipefishes are found on coral reefs and near the outer edge of coral reefs where tidal currents are strong.
It is widely known as a fish that migrates in schools around the mid-ocean depth of about 20 meters.
Another characteristic of the redfin trevally is that during the day they form schools, but at night they disperse and swim individually.
Red goatfish are colorful, with red, yellow, and white body colors, and are rather easy to spot when diving.
You will feel healed by its colorful appearance.
yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens, species of Pacific tang)
The yellow-bellied hagfish is a species of hagfish about 15 cm in length that inhabits coral reefs and rocky reefs.
The body color is entirely yellow while part of the tail is white.
It is very similar to the finfish and sesamoeba and is often confused with them, but can be distinguished by its yellow body color, height, and high dorsal and anal fins.
yellowtail sergeant (Abudefduf vivus)
As the name suggests, the nettie sparrowfish is a species of sparrowfish that inhabits the shallow waters of tropical, subtropical, and other warm seas.
They are especially abundant in coral colonies, where they can be found hiding amongst the eda corals or amongst other sparrowhawks.
The yellowish body has a black spot near the upper end of the pectoral-fin base, a very beautiful coloration unique to the fish of Miyako Island, as they are often found in coral colonies.
(vi) anvil
The horned lance is found from southern Honshu to Okinawa in its juvenile stage, but adults are found mainly in coral reef areas.
It is a carnivorous marine fish that preys on attached organisms and algae.
They are colored like camouflage or butterfly fish, and the sight of them in large groups is indescribably beautiful.
7. Gray's triggerfish
The sesamumongara is a large fish, up to 50 cm in length, that inhabits shallow coral reef zones.
As juveniles, they are often found attached to drifting debris and driftweed, and are widely distributed not only in subtropical waters.
It is a carnivorous saltwater fish that feeds on crustaceans, shellfish, small fish, and attached algae.
eighth-spot surgeonfish (Acanthurus bariene, species of tang found from Mozambique and Maldives to the western Pacific)
The striped hagfish is a species of hagfish about 20 cm long that is widely distributed from Honshu to Okinawa.
They live near tide pools in corals and reefs and feed on attached algae.
The body is generally light in color, with five or six transverse bands running through it.
It is characterized by sparkling when the light hits it, and it is very beautiful when the sunlight from the ocean hits it.
9. purple durgon (durgeon) (Melicthys vidua)
The purple croaker is a fish that is often seen in coral reefs, tide pools and inoos (lagoon).
In particular, they are often found in sandy or rocky areas around coral reefs.
It feeds on algae, crustaceans, cockles, shellfish, sea urchins, small fish, and detritus, and is known to build a mortar-shaped nest in which to lay its eggs.
They also have a temperament that will drive away intruders if they approach the eggs they are protecting.
(10) Miscanthus sinensis (species of damselfish in the Indo-West Pacific)
The misshapen lucubrids are a species of sparrowfish that prefers to live in corals, sandy bottoms, and crevices of eda corals.
As juveniles, they sometimes school with other sparids and are omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of prey such as phytoplankton, crustaceans, and benthos.
It is also a well-known marine fish that has been kept as an ornamental fish for a long time, partly because it is very easy to keep.
(11) Senna's wrasse (Thalassoma senasumii)
The senasji wrasse, as the name suggests, is a marine fish about 15 cm long with several black or peach-colored oblique bands on the upper part of its body.
The head is also characterized by red spots.
They are very active during the day, preying on gobies and crustaceans.
At night, they cease their activities and rest quietly behind corals and rocks.
⑫Homegrown wrasse (Thalassoma duodenale)
The Honsome Wakebara is a marine fish that lives in rocky reef areas and feeds on attached algae with a body length of about 10 cm.
It is well known for cleaning by eating algae and other organisms.
It is known as a fish that is appreciated by large fish because it sometimes cleans large fish.
They are valuable fish that provide cleaning services and are not preyed upon by larger fish.
blue green damselfish (Chromis viridis, a damselfish from the Indo-Pacific)
The debasseled sparrowfish is a common species with a bright blue-green body color that can frequently be seen in coastal coral reef areas.
It is similar to the bluefin sparrowhawk, but can be easily distinguished by looking at the pectoral area, as the bluefin sparrowhawk does not have black spots on the axillae of the pectoral fins.
Adults are only about 7 cm in length, and as juveniles they live near large branching corals, where they have a cute habit of hiding when they sense danger.
deep double-saddle butterflyfish
The seguro butterflyfish is a rather large species among butterflyfishes, with the largest growing up to 30 cm in length.
They are mainly found in coral areas of inner bays.
As the name suggests, the seguro butterflyfish has a black band running from the eye to the back of the body, with a red tail tip and yellow buttock fins.
(15) bigeye butterflyfish
Ukeguchi ittoidai are distributed along the coasts of warmer waters and are found in shallow waters with coral and rocky shores.
They are very active at night and often hide behind rocks during the day.
This marine fish is about 20 cm long with multiple longitudinal bands and large spots on the body.
French butterflyfish (Prognathodes guyanensis, was Chaetodon guyanensis)
The mysid butterflyfish is characterized by a single black band running across its head.
Body color is yellow-based with a reticulated pattern.
The dorsal-fin soft-stripe has a thick black band running along the outer edge, and the length of this butterfly fish is about 11 cm.
They are found in coral reef areas within 15m depth.
⑰ green bubble goby (Eviota ⑰)
The blue-gray goby is a bright orange marine fish commonly found in coral reef areas and around rocky shores.
There is a single blue band running down the body and two black spots on the base of the caudal fin.
When diving, you can see them hovering in caves and rock holes.
Eviota lacrimae (species of pygmy goby found in Japan and Indonesia)
Blue-spotted boobies are distributed in the low to mid-water depth range of 5 to 20 m. They are found in coral reef areas in inner bays, around coral roots, and in gullies.
This species is a small fish, about 2 cm long with a red longitudinal line running from the mandible to the cheeks and a high body height.
19 The Blue Yagara
The blue-spotted mudfish is a marine fish species that is found in shallow, sandy waters with a lot of coral and rocky areas.
They are carnivores that feed mainly on crustaceans and small fishes, and their rostrum is characterized by its cylindrical extension.
The body color is blue, but when excited, a dark horizontal band appears, which is also a characteristic of the blue-breasted nuthatch.
Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis)
The red grouper is widely distributed in subtropical, tropical, and temperate coral reef and rocky reef areas, and is found in shallow to deep water.
It has a red body color with about five dark red lines running across it, and the trailing edge of the caudal fin is rounded.
They are carnivorous fish that prey on small fish and crustaceans.
summary
In this article, we introduced some of the fish that live on Miyako Island.
Miyako Island is home to many species of fish, ranging from common species found on the mainland to brightly colored fish unique to subtropical waters.
Snorkeling and diving are recommended activities to encounter such a variety of fish.
There are also many tasty fish to be had, so be sure to try them when you visit a tavern or eating establishment!
We hope this information will be useful when you travel to Miyako Island.
Thank you for reading to the end.
This article was written by.
