Present status and future perspective of research on the parasite fauna of freshwater fishes of Japanese islands

Abstract

日本は6,800を超える島々から構成される島国であり,先人の努力により,多くの魚種の寄生虫相が明らかにされてきた。しかし,過去の魚類寄生虫研究のほとんどが本州を中心として北海道,四国,九州で行われたため,島嶼の魚類寄生虫相に関する知見は極めて少ない。本小論では,島嶼に多く生息する陸水魚類を研究材料とした寄生虫相研究の意義と課題を考察する。Japan is an island country, consisting of more than 6,800 islets. Despite the fact that much information is known on the parasites of freshwater fishes of the four largest islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku), our knowledge on this subject is still quite limited from the remaining smaller islands. The freshwater fish fauna of those smaller islands is considerably rich, but research on their parasites is needed to improve our understanding of the fauna of Japan and the evolution of the island parasites