Phylogeography of Coastal Fishes of Japan

This chapter introduces the phylogeographic patterns and historical demography of coastal fishes of Japan. The author examines the phylogeographic characteristics of Japan, with a particular focus on oceanographic features, such as past and present ocean currents, and paleogeographic changes, such as land bridge formation and subsequent reconnection of marginal seas during the Pleistocene glacial–interglacial cycles. The phylogeographic characteristics of the main islands of Japan are introduced, followed by discussion of the phylogeographic relationships among the biota from the Ryukyu Islands–Japanese Mainland–Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands. Phylogeographic relationships between the coastal areas of Japan and the continent are also introduced. Finally, differences in the population structure of species are examined, primarily from an ecological perspective, and future challenges are discussed.