The swimming behavior of pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) in the offshore sea cage of the brass fishing net was observed and analyzed by imaging sonar techniques. The cultured fish spent most of the time swimming a circular path along the circular cage wall and continued to swim only clockwise direction without completely changing the swimming direction during the 23-hour observation time. In addition, changed swimming behaviors were divided into four categories: (a) the behavior of a large group temporarily swimming in the opposite (counter clockwise) direction, (b) the behavior of a small group temporarily swimming in a small circular path, (c) the behavior swimming small circular path in the center of the cage, and (d) the behavior of a large group swimming across the center of the cage. The maximum swimming speed of the cultured fish was from 3.5 to 3.8 TL/s, the mode was from 1.2 to 1.4 TL/s and the swimming speed during the day time was faster than at night time. It was confirmed the cultured fish swam not only on the surface but also near the bottom net of the cage during the day, but swam mainly at the upper part of the cage at night.

The feeding habits of Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis were analyzed using samples by large purse seine fishery in Korean waters from 2012 to 2017. The number of samples was 1,274 and the fork-length (FL) ranged from 34.6 to 218.0 cm. According to %IRI, the Important main prey items of immature individuals (below 91.4 cm in FL) were Pisces, Cephalopoda and Euphausiacea and those of mature individuals were Cephalopoda and Pisces. T. orientalis showed ontogenetic changes in prey item that Pisces was dominated in size class of 30-89 cm (FL), Cephalopoda in 90-179 cm (FL), and Pisces above 180 cm. As for seasonal changes in prey item, Cephalopoda was dominant in spring and Pisces was dominant in summer, autumn and winter. %F, %N, %W and %IRI cluster analysis divided area into three groups: Group A was dominated by Pisces; Group B was dominated by Cephalopoda, and Group C was dominated by Euphausiacea.

Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) has been mostly caught by the Korean offshore large purse seine fishery in Korean waters. The annual catch of Pacific bluefin tuna caught by the offshore large purse seine fishery in Korean waters showed less than 1,000 mt until the 1990s except for 1997. The catch sharply increased to 2,401 mt in 2000 and recorded the highest of 2,601 mt in 2003, but the catch has generally decreased with a fluctuation thereafter. The main fishing ground of Pacific bluefin tuna of this fishery is formed around Jeju Island. However, it expanded to the Yellow Sea, the coastal of Busan, and the East Sea, which depends on the migration patterns of Pacific bluefin tuna by season. The CPUE standardization of Pacific bluefin tuna was conducted using Generalized Linear Model (GLM) to assess the proxy of the abundance index. The data used for the GLM were catch (weight), effort (number of hauls), catch ratio of Pacific bluefin tuna, moon phase by year, quarter and area. The standardized CPUE from 2004 to 2011, except for 2003 and 2010, showed a steady trend, and then increased until 2014. The CPUE in 2015 decreased, and in 2016 was higher than that in 2015. The result of GLM suggests that the effect of the catch ratio of Pacific bluefin tuna is the largest factor affecting the nominal CPUE.

The feeding habits of the Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis were examined based on the stomach contents of 330 specimens caught by offshore large purse seine fishery in the southern sea of Korea, 2011. The size of Pacific bluefin tuna used in this study ranged from 34.1 to 67.3 cm in fork length (FL). The percentage of empty stomachs was 41.8%. The main prey items were Pisces and Cephalopoda based on percentage IRI (index of relative importance). The main fish preys were Trachurus japonicus, Bregmaceros japonicus, Engraulis japonicus, and Cephalopoda were Todarodes pacificus, Loligo edulis, Watasenia scintillans. T. orientalis showed ontogenetic change in diet composition. Although Pisces dominated the diet of all length classes the portion of Cephalopoda was relatively higher in size between 40 and 50 cm other than length classes. In terms of seasonal variation in feeding habits, Pisces was the main prey group in all seasons, but Cephalopoda was also frequently consumed during spring and autumn based on %IRI.