MOE home > Nature and Parks > EBSA home > Coastal Area > 15101 Adjacent waters of Iriomotejima and Ishigakijima Islands
Relevant municipalities | Ishigaki, Taketomi, Okinawa Prefecture |
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Area (km2) | 1389 |
Selected due to high levels for the criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, and selected by MARXAN software.
These waters include Iriomotejima Island, Ishigakijima Island, and the Sekisei Reef. Coral reefs have formed in the vicinity of Ishigakijima Island, and numerous mangrove forests and tidal mud flats can be found in the river mouth areas and bays. Coral species are highly diverse in the coral reefs off the coast of the Hirakubo Peninsula on northern Ishigakijima Island, the coast from Cape Ugan to Ishizaki, and the Shiraho coast. Mangrove forests of Kandelia obovata, black mangrove, and Rhizophora mucronata unfold at sites including the mouths of the Kara River in the northwest and the Fukido River in the central west of the island, Nagura Bay, Miyara Bay, and the mouth of the Miyara River. Grey mangrove, Lumnitzera racemosa, and Sonneratia alba also grow in Nagura Bay. These mangrove forests are populated by highly diverse creatures, unique in terms of their mangrove species, sizes, origins, bird species, fish species, and other species, with highly divers species of crustaceans and benthic animals as well. The river mouth areas and mangrove forests are home to large numbers of species and populations of snipe and plover. In Miyara Bay and the area of the Miyara River mouth at least 1% of the minimum estimated population of lesser sand plover and at least 0.25% of the minimum estimated population of Pacific golden plover, Kentish plover, ruddy turnstone, and grey-tailed tattler have been recorded. At Shiraho at least 1% of the minimum estimated population of lesser sand plover and at least 0.25% of the minimum estimated population of Pacific golden plover, Kentish plover, ruddy turnstone, and grey-tailed tattler have been recorded. Kabira Bay and the coast of the sea extending in front of Yonabaru have highly diverse deep bay environments, with seaweed beds where Sargassum fulvellum and Gelidiella acerosa grow as well as fringing reefs with high degrees of diversity of species. Nagura Bay also is home to a community of Acetabularia ryukyuensis. In addition, seagrass and seaweed beds also have formed here, where Enhalus acoroides grow (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). The Sekisei Reef is Japan's leading coral habitat. It is important as a source of larvae and is both in a highly natural state and highly diverse (Ministry of the Environment, 2001). Mangrove forests form at the mouths of rivers flowing into the waters in the vicinity of Iriomotejima Island. Kandelia obovata, black mangrove, Rhizophora mucronata, grey mangrove, Lumnitzera racemosa, Sonneratia alba, and other species grow at the Nakama, Shiira, Aira, and Maira rivers, Yubu Island and its tidal mud flats, from Cape Kuba to Cape Akaya on Kohama Island, in Funaura Bay, at the Urauchi River, at the Ayanda, Udara, and Kuira rivers in the southwest. These spots also are highly diverse in benthic animals endemic to mangrove wetlands. Funaura is the northern limit to distribution of mangrove palm. The sandy beaches on the southern coast of Iriomotejima Island (Takahama, Wakarehama) see the highest density of green turtles spawning of any sandy beaches in the Nansei Islands, and the seaweed beds deep in the bays are green turtle feeding grounds. Sakiyama Bay in the western waters, a place that remains in a highly natural state and lacks roads and settlements, is home to expansive pure communities of Enhalus acoroides, with a high diversity of coral species. Amitori Bay also is home to expansive Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea serrulata, and Enhalus acoroides communities, with a high degree of diversity of coral species including rare species (Ministry of the Environment, 2001).
Tidal mud flats (km2) | 10 |
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Moba (seaweed bed) (km2) | 41.2 |
Coral reef coverage (km2) | 130.8 |
Natural coast (km) | 322.7 |
Rate of natural coast (%) | 86.9 |
Sand bank / submerged sand bank | |
Other habitats | Mangroves |
Criteria 1 |
<Pisces> |
Mesopristes iravi |
<Crustacea> |
Tmethypocoelis choreutes |
Ptychognathus capillidigitatus |
<Bivalva, Gastropoda> |
Platevindex sp. |
Cassidula plecotrematoides japonica |
Stenomelania rufescens |
Fronsella ohshimai |
Anisodevonia ohshimai |
<Other invertebrate> |
Paranthus sociatus |
<Octocorallia> |
Paratelesto rosea |
Sarcophyton crassocaule |
Criteria 2 |
<Aves> |
Monticola solitarius (Blue Rock-thrush)[Br/Ne] |
Sterna sumatrana (Black-naped Tern) |
Sterna sumatrana (Black-naped Tern)[Br/Ne] |
Calonectris leucomelas (Streaked Shearwater) |
Calonectris leucomelas (Streaked Shearwater)[Br/Ne] |
Egretta sacra (Pacific Reef-egret)[Br/Ne] |
Sterna albifrons (Little Tern) |
Sterna albifrons (Little Tern)[Br/Ne] |
Charadrius alexandrinus (Kentish Plover)[Br/Ne] |
Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern) |
Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern)[Br/Ne] |
Pandion haliaetus (Osprey)[Br/Ne] |
<Reptilia> |
Chelonia mydas mydas (Green Turtle) |
Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Turtle) |
Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill Turtle) |
Criteria 3 |
<Aves> |
Sterna sumatrana (Black-naped Tern) |
Sterna albifrons (Little Tern) |
Sterna dougallii (Roseate Tern) |
<Reptilia> |
Laticauda semifasciata (Chinese Sea Snake) |
Laticauda laticaudata (Brown-lipped Sea Krait) |
<Pisces> |
Sicyopus zosterophorus (Bali goby ) |
Tetraroge barbata (Bearded roguefish) |
Glossogobius bicirrhosus (Bearded flathead goby) |
Hippichthys (Hippichthys) heptagonus (Belly pipefish ?) |
Lutjanus goldiei (Papuan black snapper) |
Schismatogobius roxasi |
Sicyopus leprurus |
Omobranchus ferox (Gossamer blenny) |
Uropterygius concolor (Unicolor snake moray) |
Parioglossus taeniatus (Taeniatus dartfish) |
Glossogobius aureus (Golden Flathead Goby) |
Mesopristes iravi |
Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Tropical carp-gudgeon) |
Ophieleotris sp. |
Rhyacichthys aspro (Loach goby) |
Toxotes jaculatrix (Banded archerfish) |
Kuhlia munda (Silver flagtail) |
Cristatogobius lophius |
Crenimugil heterocheilos (Half fringelip mullet) |
Echidna rhodochilus (Pink-lipped moray eel) |
Acanthopagrus pacificus (Pacific seabream) |
Mesopristes argenteus (Silver grunter) |
Stiphodon imperiorientis |
Tetraroge nigra |
Omox biporos (Omox blenny) |
Microphis (Coelonotus) argulus (Flat-nosed pipepfish) |
Ophiocara porocephala (Northern mud gudgeon) |
Callogobius sp. |
Butis amboinensis (Olive flathead-gudgeon) |
Mesopristes cancellatus (Tapiroid grunter) |
Lentipes armatus |
Sicyopterus lagocephalus (Red-tailed goby) |
<Crustacea> |
Merguia oligodon |
Coenobita perlatus |
Enosteoides melissa |
Uca triangularis triangularis |
Portunus brocki |
Uca lactea |
Uca boninensis |
Hexapus sexpes |
<Bivalva, Gastropoda> |
Pitar sulfreum |
Batillaria zonalis |
Quadrans gargadia |
Pythia cecillei |
Septaria cumingiana |
Laemodonta siamensis |
Cerithium coralium |
Stenomelania uniformis |
Geloina fissidens |
Stenomelania rufescens |
Dosinia aspera |
Melampus sculptus |
Fronsella ohshimai |
Tellinides timorensis |
Stenothyra japonica |
Geloina yaeyamensis |
Stenomelania juncea |
Mactra grandis |
Geloina expansa |
<Other invertebrate> |
Paranthus sociatus |
<Hexacorallia> |
Acanthastrea bowerbanki |
Acanthastrea hemprichii |
Acanthastrea ishigakiensis |
Acropora abrolhosensis |
Acropora aculeus |
Acropora acuminata |
Acropora anthocercis |
Acropora aspera |
Acropora caroliniana |
Acropora dendrum |
Acropora donei |
Acropora echinata |
Acropora elegans |
Acropora globiceps |
Acropora hemprichii |
Acropora horrida |
Acropora kirstyae |
Acropora listeri |
Acropora lovelli |
Acropora microclados |
Acropora palmerae |
Acropora paniculata |
Acropora polystoma |
Acropora solitaryensis |
Acropora striata |
Acropora tenella |
Acropora vaughani |
Acropora verweyi |
Acropora willisae |
Alveopora allingi |
Alveopora excelsa |
Alveopora japonica |
Alveopora verrilliana |
Anacropora puertogalerae |
Anacropora reticulata |
Anacropora spinosa |
Astreopora incrustans |
Caulastrea curvata |
Caulastrea echinulata |
Cyphastrea agassizi |
Cyphastrea ocellina |
Euphyllia ancora |
Euphyllia cristata |
Galaxea astreata |
Goniastrea deformis |
Goniopora burgosi |
Heliofungia actiniformis |
Heliopora coerulea |
Hydnophora bonsai |
Leptoria irregularis |
Leptoseris incrustans |
Leptoseris yabei |
Lobophyllia diminuta |
Montipora altasepta |
Montipora angulata |
Montipora cactus |
Montipora calcarea |
Montipora caliculata |
Montipora cebuensis |
Montipora friabilis |
Montipora gaimardi |
Montipora mactanensis |
Montipora malampaya |
Montipora samarensis |
Montipora vietnamensis |
Pachyseris rugosa |
Pavona bipartita |
Pavona cactus |
Pavona danai |
Pavona decussata |
Pavona venosa |
Pectinia alcicornis |
Pectinia lactuca |
Physogyra lichtensteini |
Platygyra yaeyamaensis |
Pocillopora elegans |
Porites aranetai |
Porites attenuata |
Porites cocosensis |
Porites horizontalata |
Porites nigrescens |
Porites okinawensis |
Stylocoeniella cocosensis |
Turbinaria mesenterina |
Turbinaria peltata |
Turbinaria reniformis |
Turbinaria stellulata |
<Vascular Plants> |
Enhalus acoroides |
<Algae> |
Caulerpa taxifolia |
Sargassum polycystum |
Criteria 4 |
<Aves> |
Calonectris leucomelas (Streaked Shearwater) |
<Octocorallia> |
Briareum excavatum |
Briareum violacea |
Cladiella pachyclados |
Clavularia inflata |
Clavularia viridis |
Ellisella andamanensis |
EuPlexaura flava |
Euplexaura rhipidalis |
Isis hippuris |
Junceella fragilis |
Klyxum simplex |
Klyxum utinomii |
Lobophytum batarum |
Lobophytum crassum |
Lobophytum durum |
Lobophytum venustum |
Melithaea ochracea |
Menella praelonga |
Paratelesto rosea |
Plexaura flava |
Sarcophyton crassocaule |
Sarcophyton ehrenbergi |
Sarcophyton glaucum |
Sarcophyton roseum |
Sarcophyton trocheliophorum |
Sinularia brassica |
Sinularia ceramensis |
Sinularia compressa |
Sinularia erecta |
Sinularia flexibilis |
Sinularia gibberosa |
Sinularia gravis |
Sinularia heterospiculata |
Sinularia humesi |
Sinularia leptoclados |
Sinularia lochmodes |
Sinularia mollis |
Sinularia numerosa |
Sinularia polydactyla |
Sinularia querciformis |
Sinularia variabilis |
Sinularia vrijmoethi |
Subergorgia suberosa |
Tubipora musica |
Criteria 7 |
<Reptilia> |
Chelonia mydas mydas (Green Turtle) |
Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Turtle) |
Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill Turtle) |
<Pisces> |
Syngnathus schlegeli (Seaweed pipefish) |
<Crustacea> |
Uca lactea |
Hexapus sexpes |
Moerella rutila |
<Bivalva, Gastropoda> |
Pitar sulfreum |
Atactodea striata |
Batillaria zonalis |
Neritodryas subsulcata |
Clithon sowerbianus |
Neritina pulligera |
Anodontia edentula |
Smaragdia rangiana |
Neritina turrita |
Strombus canarium turturella |
Stenomelania rufescens |
Neritina plumbea |
Sermyla riqueti |
Clithon chlorostoma |
Nerita planospira |
Neripteron sp. |
Cerithidea rhizophorarum |
Cerithideopsilla cingulata |
Subula dimidiata |
Neritina variegata |
Truncatella pfeifferi |
Moerella rutila |
Stenomelania juncea |
<Vascular Plants> |
Halodule uninervis |
Enhalus acoroides |
Halophila ovalis |
Zostera japonica |
Cymodocea rotundata |
Syringodium isoetifolium |
Criteria 8 |
<Natural Monuments> |
Miyara River mangrove forest <Miyara-gawa no hirgui-rin (in Japannese)> |
Nakama River Natural Protected <Nakama-gawa tennen hogo kuiki (in Japanese)> |
* This is the species list of which meet the criteria. In that matter, this list does not include all species that inhabit the individual area.
Abbreviation in the information is as follows.
[Br/Ne] : Adjacent water of breeding area or nesting site
[Sp] : spawning area
[Ad] : species not used for analysis but add to the list because inhabit information was collected later
[Ex] : species used for analysis but considered to be possibly extinct in the EBSA region (area)
No mark : data of species distribution