Ref ID : 3101
Okada Yaichiro and Ito Yuichi; [Biological Studies of Thermal waters in Japan (XVI) Thermophilous Animals in the Aso and Unzen National Parks]. Jap.J.Limnol. 8(3/4):361-370, 1938
Reprint
In File
Notes
During our stay at the Aso and Unzen National Parks all in Kyusyu, in October, 1936 and January, 1938, we made an excellent collection of thermophilous insects, etc. In the vicinity of Aso, there are many hot springs, e.g. Zigoku, Tarutama, Yunotani, Totinoki, and in Unzen there are Huruyu and Sinyu springs. The following are represented in the collection. In Zigoku (alum-vitriol spring), where the water temperature ranges from 33.8 to 60 degrees C, and pH is 3.8, we found Chironomus thumnis Kieffer and Scatella sp. In Tarutama (iron and bitter), where the water temperature ranges from 29 to 36 degrees C, and pH from 4.2 to 7.4, there are Cloeon dipterum Linn. and Scatella sp. In Totinoki (iron-alum, bitter and saline), where the water temperature ranges from 27.9 to 36.4 degrees C and pH is from 7.8 to 7.9, of the many creatures may be mentioned, Hirudo sp., Semisulcospira libertine Gould, Gyraulus compressus japonicus Martens, Lymnaea pervia Martens, Tabanidae, Hydropsyche brevilineata Iwata, Orthotricha sp., Glossosoma sp. Ecdyonurus sp., Baetis sp., Microvelia sp., Laccobius oscillans Sharp, Ochthebius inermis Sharp, Berosus sp., and Bidessus japonicus Sharp. Unzen (sulphrous springs) has a water temperature ranging from 32 to 34.4 degrees C, and pH is from 3.7 to 3.9. There we found two species of insect larvae, Chironomus thumni Kieffer and Scatella sp. It is notable that although the adult of Cloeon dipterum Linn. appears in abundance in January and October, elsewhere it is usually found in July. Ochthebius inermis Sharp which has been described from Nevada (Brues, 1928) and the Sardinian hot springs (Krause, 1913), was found in the Totinoki hot spring. It is rather surprising to meet with Chironomus and Scatella larvae in highly acidic hot springs.