〈Original〉Aquatic fauna of the stepped rice paddy biotope on the Nara Campus, Kinki University

[Synopsis] Aquatic fauna in the stepped rice paddy biotope on the Nara Campus, Kinki University was investigated from April 2011 to July 2012. A total of 39 species in 34 families belonging to 18 orders, were recorded by field sampling. Five red data animals such as Rhinogobius sp. BF, Oryzias latipes, Rana japonica, Rana nigromaculata and Appasus japonicus were collected in this research, while two alien invasive species such as Procambarus clarkii and Physa acuta were also recoded. In the temporal water areas, i.e., Paddy Field and Irrigation Canal, a small number of species were observed, and there was an abundance in the stable water areas, i.e., Warming Water Canal and Regulating Pond. However, the rare species was limited to Irrigation Canals. It was reconfirmed that the various environments in the habitat types enriched the biodiversity. The stepped rice paddy biotope differed from the adjacent flat rice paddy biotope (Horii et al., 2009), in the number of fish species and the species composition of amphibians. It was suggested that differences between both biotopes were due to the specific surrounding environments. The stepped rice paddy biotope was characterized by forest, while the flat rice paddy biotope was by irrigation canals and rivers