RECORD OF CAPRELLA LAEVIS (SCHURIN) (CRUSTACEA : AMPHIPODA) FROM HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Abstract

In 1973 and 74, the Wakkanai Branch of the Hokkaido Fisheries Experimental Station made the surveys of the bottom fauna in the neritic waters off Yamausu and Esashi, towns in the northern part of Hokkaido Island facing the Sea of Okhotsk. The materials collected in the summer months, especially from off Yamausu, contained many specimens of Caprella laevis (Schurin), among which were involved female specimens (Arimoto, 1976). This species has been described from Peter the Great Bay for the male only, but has not been reported from the Japanese waters. The present short paper is therefore to give the full description of both sexes of C. laevis, inclusive of individuals of their larval stage and juveniles.