SUGIYAMA Tomoki

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: sugiyama.tomoki.77d*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish systematics
Hobby: fishing, reading, travelling abroad, enjoying hot springs
Research theme: Systematic taxonomy and population genetics of Dictyosoma burgeri (Stichaeidae, Perciformes)

Career and Publications:

SHI Shoju

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: shi.shoju.27n*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: marine ecology
Hobby: keeping animals (ranging from bugs to reptiles), collecting insects, drawing, daydreaming
Research theme: Unraveling the role of spiny lobsters in the shallow marine ecosystem
Currently, shallow sea floors in Japan are confronted by “barrens”, a circumstance where seaweed community in a landscape debilitates and diminishes. This issue goes beyond its unaesthetic nature: the overlying ecosystem dependent on these seaweed is in peril. Several factors are accountable for this phenomenon, but one principle culprit is the augmentation of herbivorous animals. Hence, I contend to examine the ability of potential predators (namely spiny lobsters) to prey on these animals, and further scrutinize the conditions that hamper or promote these activities.

Career and Publications:
2022 Graduated from International Christian University, College of Liberal Arts
2022 Entered Kyoto University Graduate school of Agriculture, Division of Applied Biosciences

Hunter Godfrey

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: hunter.godfrey.46s*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish agonistic behavior, fish behavioral ecology, artificial reef ecology
Hobby: scuba diving, underwater photography/video, video editing
Research theme: 1. Agonistic behavior in species of benthic fish
I have previously documented benthic fish agonistic behavior while scuba diving with a video camera. This has led to my curiosity to document more aggressive or peculiar fish behavior in the wild. What factors drive territoriality and aggressive behavior? How does it differ from species to species? I’m studying intra and inter-specific interactions between members of the family Gobiidae, where I will observe the behavior of Kutsuwa-haze (Istigobius campbelli) in the field while on scuba and in rearing tank experiments.

2. Efficacy and implementation of artificial reefs in fisheries management
I intend to examine the efficacy and ramifications of artificial reefs (ARs) in a fisheries management context. Japan has a long history with
using ARs and has studied and developed some of the most robust technologies in this field. Do certain species benefit from ARs or does it simply attract species from other sources? I seek to study the ARs in relation to the snow crab fisheries in Kyoto Prefecture through the use of eDNA technology.

Career and Publications:
Observations of agonistic behavior between two island kelpfish, Alloclinus holderi (Lauderbach, 1907) (Labrisomidae), at Anacapa Island, California.
Link to the publication

Observations of Agonistic Behavior between Two Male Gobies Acentrogobius virgatulus (Jordan & Snyder, 1901), in Maizuru Bay, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Link to the publication

Personal Page:
https://maverickdiving.blogspot.com

TACHIBANA Soki

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: tachibana.soki.74p*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish ethology
Hobby: cycling, listening to music, playing soccer
Research theme: Inter-specific communication in fish
I reveal how information is conveyed between different fish species mainly using tank experiments.

Career and Publications:

TAHARA Koichi

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: tahara.koichi.68n*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish systematics
Hobby: scuba diving, fishing, listening to music (’60s)
Research theme: Phylogeography of Cynoglossus joyneri complex (Cynoglossidae)
Cynoglossus joyneri (red tonguesole) and C. lighti are closely related species and morphologically similar extremely. However, genetic analysis has revealed the existence of a “third lineage” that is distinct from both, and that hybridization is occurring between them. In order to elucidate how the present distribution of each lineage was formed, our goal this year is to collect specimens covering the entire distribution range.

Career and Publications:
2022 Graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Agriculture
2022 Entered Kyoto University Graduate school of Agriculture, Division of Applied Biosciences

KUROSAWA Takumi

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: kurosawa.takumi.48x*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish ethology
Hobby: fishing, watching sports
Research theme: Anti-predator behavior in squids
Cephalopods, including squids, are known to exhibit high learning ability, as they have well-developed sensory organs and nervous systems, such as lens eyes similar to those of humans and large brains. Another characteristic of cephalopods is that they can change their body color and shape in various ways. I plan to test how squids (bigfin reef squid and golden cuttlefish) respond to various types of predatory stimuli, and to reveal their anti-predator strategy. Hopefully my fishing skill will be of use this study.

Career and Publications:
2022 Graduated from Kyoto University, Faculty of Agriculture
2022 Entered Kyoto University Graduate school of Agriculture, Division of Applied Biosciences

HIRATA Manami

Affiliation: Master’s candidate, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture
Contact: hirata.manami.86f*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish ethology
Hobby: walking, visiting museums, scuba diving, fishing
Research theme: Evaluation of fish stress conditions using environmental nucleic acids
Research techniques using environmental nucleic acids (environmental DNA and environmental RNA) have been rapidly developing in recent years. If the condition of fish can be determined simply by collecting environmental nucleic acids, it will be possible to simply assess habitat quality without damaging the fish and its environment. In this study, we will analyze how DNA and RNA in environmental water change when captive saltwater fish are stressed, and explore ways to use environmental nucleic acids as stress markers for fish.

Career and Publications:

SENDA Tetsuro

Affiliation: Research student, Maizuru Fisheries Research Station
Contact: tetsuro.senda.52u*st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace * by @)
Specialty: fish taxonomy, fish systematics
Hobby: cycling, computer programming, making fish specimens
Research theme: Systematic taxonomy and population genetics of fishes

Career and Publications:
2014 Graduated from Tonami high school
2018 Bachelor of Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University
2020 Master of Faculty of Fisheries, Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University
2021-2022, Research support staff, National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency
2023 Reserch student, Maizuru Fisheries Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University