Marine Life on the Sandy Shores

The sandy western side of Kushiro Bay supports species that survive through camouflage rather than cover. Flatfish like the starry flounder and cresthead flounder press themselves against the sandy bottom, while thin-bodied Pacific rainbow smelt and Japanese smelt blend in with their silvery coloring. The soft seabed is also ideal for the giant Ezo scallop, which can grow to impressive sizes, and the Japanese surf clam, which burrows beneath the sand to escape predators. This exhibit at Kushiro's aquarium presents the ecological contrast between the sandy western bay and the rocky eastern shore, where fish rely on completely different survival strategies.