Aquamarine Fukushima, an aquarium in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, captured a rare creature called "Kotokyage", which lives in the deep sea, in the Sea of Japan. This is an important discovery, showing that they live in a wider ocean area than previously thought.
Kotojellyfish is a type of creature called a ctenophora, which is mainly ball-shaped and floats in water, and lives in waters deeper than 80 meters in the waters of Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures.
Its body is around 15 centimeters long, and it got its name because it resembles a harp, a musical instrument.
Aquamarine Fukushima, an aquarium in Iwaki City, conducted a survey off the coast of Sado Island in collaboration with an aquarium in Niigata Prefecture in June last year, and captured two live fish at a depth of 130 to 140 meters.
This is the first time that Koto jellyfish have been found in Japan's territorial waters in the Sea of Japan.
The northern limit of the Koto jellyfish's habitat in Japan was thought to be around Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, but following this discovery, the aquarium believes it may be living in waters further north.
The two that were discovered the year before are already dead, but the aquarium is exhibiting a total of three that were subsequently captured around Sado Island and Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture. I am planning to work on elucidating this.
Aquamarine Fukushima says, ``This is important knowledge for finding out how and in what sea areas Kotojellyfish expands its habitat.We hope to continue our research.''