Northernmost record of the seamoth, Eurypegasus draconis, based on a juvenile specimen from off Nakaminato, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

In July 1992, a juvenile specimen of the seamoth Eurypegasus draconis (Linnaeus, 1766) (Pegasidae) was collected from off Nakaminato, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan. The specimen was characterized by eight tail rings; spine present on dorsal surface; and dorsal surface of body undulating, with a depression immediately behind eyes. Eurypegasus draconis is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific from Madagascar to French Polynesia and has previously been recorded from Sagami Bay and southward in Japan. Thus, the present specimen represents not only the first record from Ibaraki Prefecture, but also the northernmost record of the species. The species is usually found on sandy or muddy bottoms of shallow waters; however, the present specimen was collected from seaweeds floating on the seawater surface offshore. It is possible that juveniles of E. draconis might attach to seaweed and disperse, but further observations need to be accumulated.