Tamura Satoshi

Characteristics of the feeding behavior and relationship between the standard length (SL) and the size of scrape marks of ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis were studied using 123 cultured specimens in aquaria. Feeding behavior was observed individually, 116 specimens (94%) have mouth laterality for feeding. Also, feeding behavior were found two types. The first was eating the algae directly from the shelter in 91 specimens (78%). The second left the shelter and ate the algae after changing direction back to the shelter (22%). One side of the lower jaw when feeding on the acrylic plate side was turned downward and the other side of the jaws was closing. On the scrape marks, 11 to 14 and 11 to 13 level lines were visible caused by the upper and lower jaws and the algae was not scraped between the upper and lower parts. The comb–like teeth groups are arranged as 13 to 14 rows and 12 to 14 rows on the upper and lower jaws, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that they use almost all of the comb–like teeth groups except the back teeth row on the upper and lower jaws for feeding. The lengths of upper and lower jaws were found to have power regression with the SL, respectively. Also, the relationship between the SL and full width of the scrape marks (FWSM) was： FWSM = 0.3939SL^0.6767 (R^2= 0.8392, 64-212 mm SL).