Possible Ways Of Exchange Between Asian And American Ichthyofaunas In The North Pacific Ocean

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

Till present only continental slope of the Bering Sea was considered as the way, along which some typical representatives of American ichthyofauna are able to migrate or its pelagic eggs/larvae may be transported to Asian coasts (Pacific halibut Hipposlossus stenolepis, shortraker rockfish Sebastes borealis, arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias, rex sole Glyptocephalus zachirus, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria). Recent studies showed that exchange between Asian and American ichthyofaunas exists along Kuril and Aleutian Islands. Some species extended their ranges from the Aleutians to Kuril Islands and southeastern Kamchatka (northern rockfish Sebastes polyspinis, dusky rockfish Sebastes ciliatus, arrowtooth flounder, and rex sole) due to recent climatic changes. Some species described from the Aleutian Islands (blacktip snailfish Careproctus zachirus, longfin Irish lord Hemilepidotus zapus, scaled sculpin Archaulus biseriatus, sponge sculpin Thyriscus anoplus, and roughskin sculpin Rastrinus scutiger) were recently found in the Pacific waters off Kuril Islands and are in this area abundant or common. Above species occurred off the Aleutians very rare and are represented mostly by small-sized immature specimens while off the Kurils their adults are very common. Therefore it may be suggested that pelagic eggs or larvae of these species may be transported from the Kuril Islands to the Aleutians by the Western Pacific Gyre waters.