Research activity information

• Jun. 2023 The Japanese Society of Systematic Zoology, 第二回日本動物分類学会若手論文賞

• First record of the family Korethrasteridae (Asteroidea: Velatida) from Japan and descriptions of two new species

  Itaru Kobayashi, Yosuke Ameda, Natsumi Hookabe, Akito Ogawa, Hisanori Kohtsuka

  Apr. 2025, Tropical Zoology, 38(1-2) (1-2), 26 - 36, English

  Scientific journal


• Discovery of the first new species of the genus Mimastrella (Asteroidea: Paxillosida) from the Northern Hemisphere

  Itaru Kobayashi, Mai Hibino, Daiki Wakita, Hisanori Kohtsuka

  Feb. 2025, Journal of Natural History, 59, 655 - 661, English

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Description of a New Species of Aquilonastra (Asteroidea: Valvatida: Asterinidae) from Langkawi Island, Malaysia

  Itaru Kobayashi, Masaki Yamamoto, Mikihito Arai, Sau Pinn Woo, Toshihiko Fujita

  Japanese Society of Systematic Zoology, Jan. 2025, Species Diversity, 30(1) (1), 11 - 16, English

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal

  Link to Kobe Univ. Repository (Kernel)


• Benthic Deep-sea Fauna in the Sea of Kumano, Japan, Survey Conducted from the TR/V Seisui-maru of Mie University in 2023

  木村妙子, 木村昭一, 藤本心太, 櫛田優花, 露木葵唯, 波々伯部夏美, 下岡敏士, 自見直人, 白木祥貴, 中島広喜, 小川晟人, 鄧宗靖, 幸塚久典, 喜瀬浩輝, 角井敬知, 松下拓輝, Gregorius Altius PRATAMA, 小林格, 胡品燚, 前川陽一, 中村亨, 奥村順哉, 髙野雅貴

  Dec. 2024, The bulletin of the Graduate School of Bioresources Mie University, (50) (50), 9 - 59, Japanese

  Research institution


• New record of Aquilonastra minor (Hayashi, 1974) from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

  小林格, 松尾拓己, 外山太一郎

  Oct. 2024, Niche Life, 12, 52 - 53, Japanese

  Scientific journal


• The northernmost distribution record of Protoreaster nodosus (Echinodermata, Asteroidea) from Sagami Bay, Japan

  Hisanori Kohtsuka, Kazuhiko Yamada, Itaru Kobayashi, Yoichi Kogure

  Sep. 2024, Biogeography, 26, 84 - 87, English

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Pseudarchasteridae (Asteroidea: Paxillosida) in Japanese waters, with description of a new species and range extension of three species

  Itaru Kobayashi, Takayuki Sonoyama, Mai Hibino, Mitsuhisa Kawano, Hisanori Kohtsuka

  Informa UK Limited, Jul. 2024, Journal of Natural History, 58(25-28) (25-28), 949 - 964

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Benthic subtidal fauna in the southern part of the Ise Bay, Japan

  木村妙子, 木村昭一, 自見直人, 喜瀬浩輝, 波々伯部夏美, 藤本心太, 中島広喜, 松尾拓己, 山崎博史, 小林格, 小川晟人, 櫛田優花, 前川陽一, 中村亨, 奥村順哉, 高野雅貴

  Apr. 2024, Annuals of Field Research and Technology Mie University, (21) (21), 1 - 31, Japanese

  Research institution


• Description of a new Luidia species (Asteroidea: Paxillosida: Luidiidae) from Japan with molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Luidia

  Itaru Kobayashi, Mai Hibino, Masaki Yamamoto, Toshihiko Fujita

  Abstract Luidia iwakiensis n. sp. (Asteroidea, Echinodermata) is described in Japanese waters. A molecular phylogenetic analysis including 18 Luidia species supported Döderlein L (1920, Siboga Expedition 4, 193–291) four morphogroups. Morphological reconsideration revealed three of the eight criteria of the morphogroup adopted by Döderlein were justified, but the remaining five characters were rejected. The placement of the new species in the Ciliaris-group was supported by molecular as well as morphological evidence, however, it varies from other species of Ciliaris-group by arm number, length of major inferomarginal spines, and pedicellariae on actinal plates.

  Cambridge University Press (CUP), Mar. 2024, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 104, 1 - 12

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Echinasteridae (Asteroidea: Spinulosida) from Rishiri Island, Hokkaido, Japan

  Kobayashi Itaru, Tomioka Shinri, Sato Masahiko, Fujita Toshihiko

  Mar. 2024, Rishiri Studies, 43, 29 - 38, Japanese


• Marine macroinvertebrate fauna of the shallow coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage at Hokkaido, Japan

  Takeshi Sonoda, Susumu Chiba, Tomoyasu Yamazaki, Takahiro Nobetsu, Hideaki Fujiya, Tomoyuki Komai, Noboru Nunomura, Michitaka Shimomura, Ko Tomikawa, Keiichi Kakui, Takashi Hosono, Atsushi Ito, Toshihiko Fujita, Itaru Kobayashi, Seiji Goshima

  The Plankton Society of Japan/The Japanese Association of Benthology, Feb. 2024, Plankton and Benthos Research, 19(1) (1), 1 - 16

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• First record of Henricia reniossa reniossa Hayashi, 1940 (Spinulosida: Echinasteridae) from central Honshu, Japan

  Itaru Kobayashi, Kohei Oguchi, Shinichiro Ikeguchi, Hisanori Kohtsuka

  Jan. 2024, Aquatic Animals, 2024, AA2024-1

  [Refereed]


• Rediscovery of rarely encountered sea star, Dipsacaster sagaminus Hayashi, 1973 (Paxillosida: Astropectinidae)

  Itaru Kobayashi, Hiroto Watabe, Kohei Oguchi, Hisanori Kohtsuka

  Aug. 2023, Aquatic Animals, 2023, AA2023-15, English

  [Refereed]


• Two new species of the bathyal holothurian genus Pannychia (Elasipodida, Laetmogonidae) from Japanese waters

  AKITO OGAWA, ITARU KOBAYASHI, HISANORI KOHTSUKA, TOSHIHIKO FUJITA

  Sea cucumbers are one of the most common large animals in the deep-sea benthic communities, and those of the genus Pannychia are particularly abundant in the bathyal North Pacific Ocean. In Japanese waters, three species of Pannychia have been reported, mainly from the northern and eastern parts of the country. Here, we describe two new species from the western part of Japan. These two new species were placed in Pannychia by the presence of dorsal papillae on the ventrolateral radii and the presence of large wheel ossicles with rim teeth. They are distinguished from all other nominal species of Pannychia on the basis of the morphological characteristics of their body wheel ossicles. Pannychia nagasakimaruae sp. nov. has a unique ossicle composition in its dorsal and ventral body walls: four forms of wheel ossicles. Pannychia rinkaimaruae sp. nov. differs from other congeners in its small wheel ossicles in the dorsal and ventral body walls, which have conical rim teeth. We barcoded partial COI gene sequences from holotypes and paratypes of two new Japanese species. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that these two new morphologically recognized Japanese species form distinct clades separated from other Pacific Pannychia species, so that the two new Japanese species were also supported by genetic results. In addition, we describe and visualize the poorly calcified calcareous rings of the two new species using X-ray μCT system, a useful method for observing such structures, which are important structures in holothurian anatomy.

  Magnolia Press, Jul. 2023, Zootaxa, 5323(1) (1), 105 - 125

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Insights into the diversification of deep-sea endoparasites: Phylogenetic relationships within Dendrogaster (Crustacea: Ascothoracida) and a new species description from a western Pacific seamount

  Naoto Jimi, Itaru Kobayashi, Takeya Moritaki, Sau Pinn Woo, Shinji Tsuchida, Yoshihiro Fujiwara

  Elsevier BV, Jun. 2023, Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 196, 104025 - 104025

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Effect of Time Elapsed after Sacrifice on the Stiffness of Male Beetle Head Horns

  Kenji Gomi, Shotaro Nagai, Shuhei Nomura, Ryosuke Saito, Itaru Kobayashi, Hiromi Yasuda, Hyun-Taek Lee

  Mar. 2023, Advanced Experimental Mechanics, 8, 47 - 52

  [Refereed]


• A New Shallow-water Species of the Genus Odontohenricia from Northern Japan (Asteroidea: Spinulosida: Echinasteridae)

  Itaru Kobayashi, Toshihiko Fujita

  Japanese Society of Systematic Zoology, Jan. 2023, Species Diversity, 28(1) (1), 45 - 50

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• First Record of the Family Myxasteridae (Asteroidea: Velatida) from Western North Pacific with Description of a New Species of Asthenactis

  Itaru Kobayashi, Masaki Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Shinji Tsuchida, Toshihiko Fujita

  Japanese Society of Systematic Zoology, Jul. 2022, Species Diversity, 27(2) (2), 251 - 258

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Taxonomy and distribution of deep benthos collected in and around the Southern Ocean during the 30th Anniversary expeditions of R/V Hakuho Maru: Annelida, Mollusca, Ostracoda, Decapoda, and Echinodermata

  Akito Ogawa, Naoto Jimi, Shimpei F. Hiruta, Chong Chen, Itaru Kobayashi, Gregorius Altius Pratama, Hayate Tanaka, Masanori Okanishi, Hironori Komatsu, Minoru Ikehara

  Elsevier BV, Jun. 2022, Polar Science, 32, 100846 - 100846

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Extra‐pair paternity in the wood‐feeding cockroachCryptocercus punctulatusScudder: Social but not genetic monogamy

  Hajime Yaguchi, Itaru Kobayashi, Kiyoto Maekawa, Christine A. Nalepa

  Abstract SubsocialCryptocercuscockroaches are the sister group to termites and considered to be socially monogamous. Because genetic monogamy is a suggested requirement for evolution of cooperative breeding/eusociality, particularly in hymenopterans, clarification of the mating biology ofCryptocercuswould help illuminate evolutionary trends in eusocial insects. To investigate possible extra‐pair paternity inC. punctulatus, microsatellite markers were used to analyse offspring parentage, the stored sperm in females and results of experimental manipulation of sperm competition. Extra‐pair paternity was common in field‐collected families, but a lack of maternal alleles in several nymphs suggests sampling error or adoption. Isolating prereproductive pairs and assaying subsequently produced nymphs confirmed that nymphs lacked alleles from the pair male in 40% of families, with extra‐pair male(s) siring 27%–77% of nymphs. Sperm of extra‐pair males was detected in the spermatheca of 51% of paired prereproductive females. Mate switching and surgical manipulation of male mating ability indicated a tendency towards last male sperm precedence. Overall, the results demonstrate that about half of young females are serially monogamous during their maturational year, but bond, overwinter and produce their only set of offspring in company of the last mated male (=pair male). Repeated mating by the pair male increases the number of nymphs sired, but because many females use stored sperm of previous copulatory partners to fertilize eggs, pair males extend parental care to unrelated nymphs. The results suggest that genetic monogamy either developed in the termite ancestor after splitting from theCryptocercuslineage, or that genetic monogamy may not be a strict prerequisite for the evolution of termite eusociality.

  Wiley, Oct. 2021, Molecular Ecology, 30(24) (24), 6743 - 6758

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Two new deep-sea species of the genus Henricia (Asteroidea: Spinulosida: Echinasteridae) from Japanese waters

  ITARU KOBAYASHI, HISANORI KOHTSUKA, TOSHIHIKO FUJITA

  Two new deep-sea Henricia species, Henricia margarethae n. sp. and Henricia fragilis n. sp. are described from Sagami Bay and the Ogasawara Islands in Japan. The two new species show an affinity with eight congeners in having multiple furrow spines and abactinal papular areas which are larger than surrounding plates. The two species described herein are characterized by the arrangement of abactinal pseudopaxillae, the arrangement of abactinal papulae, the shape and arrangement of abactinal spines, the length of intermarginal and ventrolateral series, and the armament of superomarginal, inferomarginal, and adambulacral plates.

  Magnolia Press, Jan. 2021, Zootaxa, 4903(1) (1)

  [Refereed]

  Scientific journal


• Benthic deep-sea fauna in south of the Kii Strait and the Sea of Kumano, Japan. Second report

  木村妙子, 木村昭一, 角井敬知, 波々伯部夏美, 倉持利明, 藤田敏彦, 小川晟人, 小林格, 自見直人, 岡西政典, 山口悠, 広瀬雅人, 吉川晟弘, 福地順, 下村通誉, 柏尾翔, 上野大輔, 藤原恭司, 成瀬貫, 櫛田優花, 喜瀬浩輝, 前川陽一, 中村亨, 奥村順哉, 田中香月

  Nov. 2019, 三重大学フィールド研究・技術年報, 17(17) (17), 1 - 29, Japanese

  Research institution


• Benthic deep-sea fauna in south of the Kii Strait and the Sea of Kumano, Japan

  Kimura Taeko, Kimura Shoichi, Jimi Naoto, Kuramochi Toshiaki, Fujita Toshihiko, Komai Tomoyuki, Yoshida Ryuta, Tanaka Hayato, Okanishi Masanori, Ogawa Akito, Kobayashi Itaru, Kodama Masafumi, Saito Masaya, Kiyono Yuki, Katahira Hirotaka, Nakano Hiroaki, Yoshikawa Akihiro, Uyeno Daisuke, Tanaka Masaatsu, Oya Yuki, Maekawa Yoichi, Nakamura Toru, Okumura Junya, Tanaka Kazuki

  Sep. 2019, The bulletin of the Graduate School of Bioresources Mie University, (45) (45), 11 - 50, Japanese

  Research institution


• Benthic deep-sea fauna in the Sea of Kumano, Mie Prefecture, Japan

  Kimura Taeko, Kimura Shoichi, Jimi Naoto, Kakui Keiichi, Tomioka Shinri, Oya Yuki, Matsumoto Yu, Tanabe Yuki, Hasegawa Naohiro, Hookabe Natsumi, Homma Riko, Hosoda Yushi, Fujimoto Shinta, Kuramochi Toshiaki, Fujita Toshihiko, Ogawa Akito, Kobayashi Itaru, Ishida Yoshiaki, Tanaka Hayate, Onishi Haruka, Shimetsugu Miho, Yoshikawa Akihiro, Tanaka Masaatsu, Kushida Yuka, Maekawa Yoichi, Nakamura Toru, Okumura Junya, Tanaka Kazuki

  Oct. 2017, Annals of Field Research and Technology Mie University, (16) (16), 1 - 32, Japanese

  Research institution

• The mating strategies of cockroaches: Exploring the origin and evolution of termite eusociality

  Yaguchi Hajime, Kobayashi Itaru, Maekawa Kiyoto

  Jan. 2024, Termite Journal, 181, 37 - 46, Japanese


• 利尻島沿岸で発見された新種のヒトデ

  Kobayashi Itaru

  Lead, 13 Feb. 2023, 博物館だよりリイシリ, (351) (351), 1, Japanese


• 利尻産ヒメヒトデ類の多様性

  Kobayashi Itaru

  Lead, 01 Oct. 2021, 博物館だよりリイシリ, (341) (341), 2, Japanese

• 浅海性スナヒトデ属２種の分類学的再検討

  小林格, 藤田敏彦

  日本動物分類学会第60回大会, Jun. 2025, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• 上総層群小宮層からのイトマキヒトデ化石の初記録

  小林格, 石田吉明, 福嶋徹, 尾崎薫, 樽創

  第42回化石研究会総会・学術大会, Jun. 2024, Japanese, Domestic conference

  Oral presentation


• 北海道沿岸のルソンヒトデ科の多様性

  小林格, 藤田敏彦

  第19回棘皮動物研究集会, Dec. 2023, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• 近年相模湾で得られた熱帯性棘皮動物

  幸塚久典, 川端美千代, 小林格

  第48回国立大学法人臨海・臨湖実験所・センター技術職員研修会議, Nov. 2023, Japanese

  Poster presentation


• KH-19-06 Leg および KH-20-01航海のヒトデ類を用いた系統分類学的研究

  小林格

  東京大学大気海洋研究所共同利用研究集会「白鳳丸世界一周航海による科学成果」, Oct. 2023, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• Phylogenetic position of enigmatic spherical-starfish, Podosphaeraster toyoshiomaruae (Asteroidea, Valvatida, Podosphaerasteridae

  Hiruta Shinpei, Kobayashi Itaru, Fujita Toshihiko

  6th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Jul. 2023, English

  Poster presentation


• マクヒトデ目の系統分類と膜の進化

  小林格, 山本真生, 藤田敏彦

  第１８回棘皮動物研究集会, Dec. 2022, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• 奄美大島沖から採集されたイトマキヒトデ科（ヒトデ綱：アカヒトデ目）の未記載属・未記載種

  山本真生, 小林格, 藤田敏彦

  第17回棘皮動物研究集会, Dec. 2021, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• ヒメヒトデ属の１種 Henricia reniossa Hayashi, 1940 に関する分類学的再検討

  小林格, 藤田敏彦

  第73回日本動物学会関東支部大会, Mar. 2021, Japanese

  Poster presentation


• Deep-sea macrobenthos biodiversity survey at the Southern Ocean in KH-19-06 Leg 4

  Jimi Naoto, Ogawa Akito, Hiruta Shinpei, Chong Chen, Kobayashi Itaru, Komatsu Hironori, Okanishi Masanori, Gregorius Altius Pratama, Imura Satoshi, Nomaki Hidetaka, Tani Kenichiro, Ikehara Minoru

  The 11th Symposium on Polar Science/Interdisciplinary sessions, Dec. 2020, English

  Oral presentation


• 浅海性ヒメヒトデ属の分類学的再検討 －シュイロヒメヒトデの正体を探る－

  小林格, 藤田敏彦

  日本動物分類学会動物多様性セミナー, Nov. 2020, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• 浅海性ヒメヒトデ属２種（有棘目：ルソンヒトデ科）の分類学的再検討

  小林格, 脇田大輝, 幸塚久典, 藤田敏彦

  第16回棘皮動物研究集会, Dec. 2019, Japanese

  Oral presentation


• ルソンヒトデ科（ヒトデ綱有棘目）の系統分類学的研究

  小林格, 藤田敏彦

  勢水丸航海（SE1903）研究発表会, Apr. 2019, Japanese

  Oral presentation

• 非分散型ヒメヒトデ属の多様化プロセスの解明：ヒメヒトデは環状種か？

  小林格

  公益財団法人日本科学協会, 笹川科学研究助成, Apr. 2024 - Mar. 2025, Principal investigator


• 知床半島産ヒトデ相に関する研究

  小林格

  公益財団法人水産無脊椎動物研究所, 個別研究助成, Apr. 2023 - Mar. 2024, Principal investigator


• 利尻島におけるヒメヒトデ類の多様性

  小林格

  利尻島調査研究事業, Apr. 2021 - Mar. 2022, Principal investigator

• 沖ノ鳥島周辺海域の海底地形及び生物相把握のための研究調査

  Feb. 2024, 研究協力者


• ヒトデ学 –利尻産ヒトデ研究の最先端–

  Sep. 2023 - Oct. 2023, 利尻町立博物館秋の移動展示用の展示パネルの作成


• 和賀江島355

  Mar. 2021, 採集協力