Coastal Area 14803 Central and southern coast of Okinawajima Island

Basic Information References

Reason(s) for selection Criteria

Characteristics References

These waters extend from the Katsuren Peninsula in the central-southern area of Okinawa Island (including Henza Island, Miyagi Island, and southern Ikei island) through the southern tip of Okinawa Island to the mouth of the Kokuba River (the Port of Naha). Seaweed beds unfold off the coast in the vicinity of Yabuchi-jima Island, the largest habitat for Sargassum fulvellum and Pseudodichotomosiphon constricta. Tidal mud flats, seaweed beds, and sea grass beds can be seen widely across Nakagusuku Bay. In the northern part of Nakagusuku Bay (off the coasts of Awase, Kuba and other areas) grow eight species of sea grass including Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata, Cymodocea rotundata, and others. Another distinguishing feature of these waters is the fact that Armatocillenus yokohamae, Halovelia septentrionalis and other insects inhabit them. They also are the only habitat in Japan for Scartelaos histophorus and Acentrogobius and the southern limit of distribution of mudskipper and Masago goby in Japan. Awase, the only habitat in Japan for Macrophthalms quadratus, in particular has an abundance of rare shellfish. In the seaweed beds of southern Nakagusuku Bay grow Sargassum fusiforme (southern limit), Sargassum ilicifolium var. conduplicatum, Ulva conglobata, Gelidium pusillium, and others. Both the Awase tidal mud flats and the Sashiki tidal mud flats are visited by snipe and plover, with relatively high numbers of species and populations during the migration seasons of spring and fall. The tidal mud flats of sand and mud that extend from the town of Sashiki in the south of Nakagusuku Bay to the town of Yonabaru are inhabited by Scartelaos histophorus and fiddler crab (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). As in Kin Bay, in Nakagusuku Bay diverse fish populations including numerous unique fish, centered on gobies, are also being identified (Suzuki et al., 1996; Suzuki et al., 1999; Suzuki et al., 2011). The Gushi tidal mud flats also welcome relatively high numbers of species and populations of snipe and plover visiting during the migration seasons of spring and fall and wintering here, and at least 0.25% of the grey-tailed tattler's minimum estimated population has been recorded here. In the intertidal zone of the reef belt extending from the Gushi tidal mud flats to Omine Cape live Armatocillenus yokohamae. The Yone tidal mud flats are home to numerous Ephippodonta gigas, Auriculodes opportunatum, Serratina capsoides and other rare species (Ministry of the Environment, 2001).