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In order to examine the distribution, abundance, and food habits of the snailfish, Liparis tanakai, in the Suo Sea, western Seto Inland Sea of Japan, experimental fishing surveys were made using trawl nets on the night (1930-0340h) of 26 May and 2 and 3 June, 1986. The study area was subdivided into 18 areas, each sampled by one trawl tow of 35min duration. A total of 190 fish was collected during the surveys, and most fish (78.9%) were obtained from muddy substrata ranging in depth from 30 to 40m at the middle area of the Suo Sea. The total length of the fish in the samples ranged from 72 to 273mm . The overall length-frequency distribution formed a unimodal curve, the mode occurring at the class of 100-130 mm in total length. Of 151 fish examined, 146 (96.7%) had stomachs full of food, including a variety of small crustaceans and fish. Shrimps, especially Crangon affinis, ranked highest in importance in the diet of L. tanakai. These biological data are compared with those of conspecifics from Sendai Bay, northern Honshu of Japan.

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