The hair band (in Japanese "Hachimaki")

Kanehira(Acheilognathus rhombeus) is one of the species which spawn in autumn.

Bitterlings present remarkable secondary sex characteristic in the spawning season.
All male bitterlings have very beautiful nupitial coloration.It seems that there are strong competition among males struggling for limited spawning resources,freshwater mussels.
It is not too much to say that male Kanehira is the most beautiful species among such beautiful bitterlings.

When I was a graduate school student, I talked about the beauty of male Kanehira with my professor.
In the conversation I emphasised the beauty of it's green and pink body color.
One the other hand, my professor said "I think the best point is it'  Hachimaki (in English "Hair band")"
"Hachimaki?"I repied.
So, I couldn't understand what he said at that time.

After several years, when I took their under water photos and watched pictures,I understood.
I see.
White and silver running through their forehed seems the strong will to the next generation.

Under water unexplored region of Hokkaido,Japan

"In Northern part of Hokkaido, the river was still clear and filled with fishes."

Do you want to see Japanese wild Salmonidae fishes?
If you think so, I recommend you going to Southern part of Hokkaido.
I visited there the other day and thought so.

The water of rivers in this area are very clear, because of abundant beech forest of high moisture holding ability.And the population density is extremely low, so there is little influence of the human activities.
Furthermore, many rivers in this are fishing prohibited.Therefore the density of the fish is remarkably high.

The bottom of a river is transparent.
It is approximately 1km from the river mouth here.

The underwater condition.
 Fishes are Japanese dace(Tribolodon hakonensis).

Cherry salmons are in this move.

But it's not easy to detect.

I hope you can know the transpiarancy of this river.

Usually we can see 7 species(Tribolodon hakonensis,Plecoglossus altivelis,Oncorhynchus masou,Salvelinus leucomaenis leucomaenis,Cottus hangiongensis,Rhinogobius sp. CO,Gymnogobius opperiens) there.And Oncorhynchus keta would enter rivers in autumn.
It is not exaggeration among other things even if it is said that the density and the size of cherry salmon(Oncorhynchus masou),white spotted charr(Salvelinus leucomaenis leucomaenis) and Japnaese sweetfish(Plecoglossus altivelis) are number one in Japanese river.Rivers are filled with the vitality of wild fishes in the autumn, the spawning season of salmonidae species and sweetfish.

Sweetfishes which fight for feeding grounds

Cherry salmons(Oncorhynchus masou) which herd
 in the deep water

 This is a male cherry salmon.

It's around 1m to fish. He allowedme to approach.

There are many scenic areas such as Shiretoko peninsula (world heritage) or the Kushiro-shitsugen(Ramsar Sites) in Hokkaido. And it is rare that Southern Hokkaido is introduced as representative nature of Hokkaido. However, I think it's profundity of nature is even better than famous scenic areas.

As already mentioned, in September and October, the river will be filled with fishes.
It is not always necessary to dive into water to watch spawning behavior of salmonid fishes. You can watch it enough easily even from the land.
Watching the working of the life, why don't you thoroughly enjoy one of the great wilderness of Japan?
You may get a story which you would be able to talk about throughout life.

<Date>
A visit season: August
A visit place: South Hokkaido on Sea of Japan side

～Other fishes～

Freshwater sculpin(Cottus hangiongensis)

Floating goby,(Gymnogobius opperiens)



Amur goby (Rhinogobius sp. CO)

Juvenile white spotted charr
(Salvelinus leucomaenis leucomaenis)
and cherry salmon(Oncorhynchus masou)