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Updated: Jan 7, 2026
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A Fish-feeding Laboratory Bioassay to Assess the Antipredatory Activity of Secondary Metabolites from the Tissues of Marine Organisms
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Local environmental changes boost predation risk in forage fish: application to the sand lance in the eastern Seto
Aoi Taniguchi1, Michio Yoneda2, Tetsuya Nishikawa3
1Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8528, Japan.
Marine Environmental Research
|January 3, 2026
Summary
Rising sea temperatures are increasing predator fish in sand lance habitats, leading to more frequent encounters and contributing to the decline of sand lance (Ammodytes japonicus) biomass. This highlights how environmental changes impact marine predator-prey dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Marine Ecology
- Fisheries Science
- Climate Change Impacts
Background:
- Marine ecosystems face altered prey-predator dynamics due to environmental changes affecting top-down and bottom-up drivers.
- Sand lance (Ammodytes japonicus) biomass has declined in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, potentially linked to reduced prey availability from declining nutrient levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the top-down effects of environmental changes on sand lance biomass.
- To analyze the relationship between predator fish abundance, temperature fluctuations, and sand lance decline.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 30 years of fish catch data in relation to temperature.
- Conducted laboratory experiments on sand lance nutritional status and predation susceptibility.
- Examined shifts in predator fish abundance in sand lance habitats.
Main Results:
- Increased abundance of 14 predator fish species in sand lance habitats since 2016, correlating with rising temperatures.
- Lower nutritional status in sand lance led to increased prey searching behavior before estivation.
- Warming-induced predator shifts likely increase predation risk for sand lance.
Conclusions:
- Warming ocean temperatures are shifting predator fish distributions, increasing predation pressure on sand lance.
- This predator-prey dynamic shift is a key factor in the recent sharp decline of sand lance biomass.
- Understanding these environmental influences is crucial for predicting marine population sustainability and trophic structures.
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