Hermatypic Coral Fauna along the Coast of Mie Prefecture

Hermatypic coral fauna along the coast of Mie Prefecture were studied through qualitative surveys and compared to those of other areas of Japan. There were many hermatypic coral communities off the coast of Mie Prefecture. Surveys results showed that 11 families containing 26 genera and 39 species of hermatypic corals were distributed along the eastern coast of Mie Prefecture. Alveopora japonica is said to be in danger of being poached and findings of Turbinaria peltata renewed the northern limit of the range of that species. Hermatypic corals were not found at northern study sites of this study, while many hermatypic coral species were confirmed at southern study sites. The Kii Peninsula was found to form the boundary between coral communities of the western warm temperate region and those of the eastern warm temperate region in Japan. Long-term and quantitative surveys are needed to evaluate the influence of environmental changes on hermatypic coral communities in Mie Prefecture.温帯域に位置する三重県では造礁サンゴ類を対象とした調査は調査地点が限られている。そこで，三重県の造礁サンゴ相を明らかにするために調査を行った。その結果，11科26属39種の造礁サンゴ類が三重県で確認された。密漁の恐れが高いニホンアワサンゴや分布北限を更新したオオスリバチサンゴも確認された。本研究の北側の調査地点では造礁サンゴ類が確認できなかったが，南側では多くの造礁サンゴ類が確認され，三重県には多様な造礁サンゴ群集があると考えられた。三重県と他の国内の海域の造礁サンゴ群集の種組成を比較すると，日本温帯の太平洋側の造礁サンゴ群集は紀伊半島東岸を境界として大きく変化することが示唆された。今後は，三重県内の造礁サンゴ類についての長期的・定量的な知見を蓄積していくことが重要である