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The research outcomes of spatial and bathymetric distribution of dragon poacher Percis japonica are reported based on the bottom trawl surveys carried out in the Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan. The species can be found in the waters along the entire coastline. However, its spatial distribution pattern is variable. Thus, its distribution is sparse off the coasts of West Sakhalin, especially off the southern part of the island, while the species tends to congregate in the Peter the Great Bay and the Tatar Strait, where the locations of the species across these water areas remain almost unchanged throughout the year. With respect to the Northern Primorye Coastal Zone, the even distribution is typical for the entire water area, without any high congregation locations. Therefore, the dragon poacher can be found in wide ranges of depths and temperatures. However, its preferable ranges are substantially narrower. The highest values for available biomass resources are typical for the water areas off the Northern Primorye Coastal Zone.

—The discovery of a spawning ground for Alaska skate Bathyraja parmifera in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan (42°21′1″ N 131°16′6″ E), at a depth of 216–224 m and a bottom temperature of 1.0°C It is reported for the first time. Spawners and egg cases were found at the spawning ground.

Finding of female pelagic skate stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea with a length of TL 996 mm in Russian waters off the South Kuril region is reported. Description is provided and data on occurrence of this species in this region are generalized.

Non-annulated tetrazole-containing polynuclear compounds, in which heterocyclic fragments are bound by an acetamide linker were synthesized. The synthesis was accomplished by acylation of 2-hydrazinyl-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine, 4-amino-4 H -1,2,4-triazol-3-thiol, 2-[(1-amino-1 H -tetrazol-5-yl)thio]- N-tert -butylacetamide, 1-methyl-1 H -tetrazol-5-amine, and 2-methyl-2 H -tetrazol-5-amine with one key reagent, (5-phenyltetrazol-2-yl)acetyl chloride. Preliminary in silico studies showed the presence of the in vivo antidiabetic (diabetes 2 type) activity in N′ -(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)-2-(5-phenyl-2 H -tetrazol-2-yl)acetohydrazide. N -(3-Mercapto-4 H -1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)-2-(5-phenyl-2 H -tetrazol-2-yl)acetamide demonstrated minimal hypoglycemic activity in in vivo studies, at the same time, it showed pronounced activity as a drug for combating obesity.

Main features of spatial distribution and thermal regime of habitation of Lycodes nakamurae and L. yamatoi in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan are discussed. Comparative analysis of specific features of distribution of eelpouts of the mesobenthal group (L. nakamurae, L. yamatoi, L. tanakae) in some areas of the Sea of Japan with different hydrological conditions is provided. No horizontal migrations directed along isobaths were revealed in these species. In Russian waters of the Sea of Japan, L. nakamurae inhabits depths 130–760 m, preferring the range of depths 200–700 m (it was found in catches of 95.7% of trawlings); L. yamatai inhabits depths 140–800 m, but most frequently is found in the range of depths 200–500 m (86.1% of trawlings). L. nakamurae occurs at a temperature of 0.4–1.2°C and L. yamatoi is found at 0.3–1.9°C. Seasonal migrational activity in the former species is more pronounced than in the latter. Spring-summer migration towards the shelf for feeding and reproduction and autumn-winter wintering migration towards the continental slope taking place with the cooling of the shelf are noticeable. Maximum range of vertical migrations is typical of medium-size fish and minimal is typical of juveniles of the studied species that inhabit the upper section of the bathyal (200–400 m). It is suggested that the lower limit of distribution of eelpouts of the mesobenthal group in the southern and northern sectors of the Sea of Japan coincide. The upper boundary of habitation of the species in different seasons of the year is totally determined by the thermal regime of water masses in different areas of the sea.

Based on materials of bottom inventory trawl survey performed in summer 2008 in the western part of the Bering Sea, we show that representatives of the genus Lycodes in the summer period occur almost throughout the study water area of the sea from the sublittoral to the drop-off. The pattern of distribution and abundance of particular species depend on the depth and specific features of the hydrological regime of the given area. The most numerous species— Lycodes brevipes and L. palearis —are found in warm intermediate and in cold demersal water masses, are distributed over a vast stretch, and there form considerable concentrations. Deep-water species— L. beringi and L. concolor —are more stenothermal, occur along the narrow band of the continental slope, and are considerably inferior to stretch species in numbers. Of shallow species dwelling at depths smaller than 100 m, only L. raridens has high numbers and occurs over a considerable area in the northern part of the study area, the remaining species ( L. mucosus, L. polaris , and L. turneri ) are caught in small amounts at local sites. The largest sizes are in L. raridens and L. concolor , their maximum length in catches is more than 70 cm, the former species reaches maximum length in the seventh year of life, and the latter reaches maximum length in the ninth year. The smallest and slowest-growing among the studied fish is L. brevipes : its maximum length in catches does not exceed 39 cm and maximum age is 7 years.

It has been found, with reference to the data of trawl survey and literature, that, in the Sea of Japan, the Northern boundary of the area of the elongated sculpin Alcichthys elongatus is the central part of the Tatar Strait. During the year, the elongated sculpin occurs at depths from 7 to 650 m. Its highest concentration forms during the feeding period. At this time Alcichthys elongatus stays up to depths 253 m but prefers the range of 40–100 m. It winters below the 50 m isobath, mainly in the lower part of the shelf and in the upper section of the continental slope. Being an eurythermal species, the elongated sculpin occurs in a wide range of temperature (from −1.6 to 17.7°C). However, most specimens prefer waters with slightly positive temperature. Juveniles prefer the warm water layers. Males are larger than females but the latter dominate in catches. According to the kind of diet A. elongatus , it is a benthoichtyophage consuming predominantly decapods (mostly juveniles of Chionoecetes opilio ) and small fish. In summer, the value of daily ration is 3.0% of the body weight. In the north-western part of the Sea of Japan, A. elongatus may be characterized as a common species with a low but stable abundance.

To determine the taxonomic position of wrymouths of the family Cryptacanthodidae in the system of the suborder Zoarcoidei, a study on molecular genetics and comparative morphology of Cryptacanthodes bergi from Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan) is conducted. Based on molecular genetic analysis using the genes of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, Cryptacanthodes bergi is substantially similar to the representatives of the superfamily Stichaeoidae. Thus, the opinion of Makushok on a phylogenetically distinct position of wrymouths in relation to snake blennies and related families is not supported. The anatomical features of skull structure support the data of molecular genetics. The directions and time of distribution of wrymouths in the northwest Atlantic through the channel in the area of the Isthmus of Panama in approximately the late Miocene are discussed.

With consideration of the data obtained in the period from 1981 to 2009, the occurrence of Berg wrymouth Cryptacanthodes bergi is estimated in the north-western part of the Sea of Japan. Almost all captures of wrymouth were made in Peter the Great Bay (only once was it caught in the Northern Primor’e) in a bathymetric range 18–60 m. Captures of Berg wrymouth are confined to aleurite bottom sediments. The size of captured specimens varied from 11 to 29 cm. The ratio of males and females in collections was close to 8: 1. In July–September, the gonads of females were at maturity stages III and IV and gonadosomatic index varied from 3 to 14%; in males, gonads were at stages II–III and III and gonadosomatic index varied from 0.5–2.7%, respectively.