An ecological study for species composition and abundance of the fish assemblages in the coastal waters of Gujora and Mangchi of Geoje, Korea was conducted using monthly larval collection by an RN80 net from June, 2018 to May, 2019. A total of the 5 Orders, 15 Families, 21 species were collected. The dominant species were Ammodytes japonicus and Engraulis japonicas. Gobiidae was the most dominant species in June, Spratelloides gracilis in July, Chelidonichthys sp. in August, Gobiidae in September, Repomucenus beniteguri in October, Sebastiscus marmoratus in November, Sebastiscus marmoratus and Hexagrammos otakii in December of 2018, Pleuronectes yokohamae in January, Ammodytes japonicus in Febraury, Engraulis japonicus in March, Sebastes sp. and Gobiidae in April and Engraulis japonicus in May of 2019. The highest number of species and individuals were found in July and the smallest in August. Thus, the diversity index was the highest in July and the lowest in August. As a result of the similarity by month was divided into Group I in January and February and Group II in April, June and September. The most dominant species in the Group I were the Ammodytes japonicus and Sebastes inermis, and the most dominant species in the Group II was Gobiidae.
The diet composition of Takifugu niphobles was studied with 587 specimens collected in the eelgrass bed of Jangpyeong-ri, Tongyeong, Korea, using a seine net, monthly from May 2016 to April 2017. The standard length (SL) of the specimens ranged from 0.7 to 9.0 cm. The stomach contents analysis indicated that T. niphobles consumed mainly amphipods (%IRI: 91.0 %). In addition, T. niphobles fed on small quantities of copepods, polychaetes, insects, bivalves and crabs. T. niphobles consumed mainly amphipods over all size class. Smaller individuals (less than 4 cm SL) fed mainly on amphipods and copepods. The proportion of copepods decreased, as body size increased, whereas the consumption of polychaetes increased gradually. The seasonal variation in the diet composition of T. niphobles was significant. Amphipods were most common prey in all seasons. Copepods decreased from summer to spring gradually whereas the consumption of polychaetes increased in autumn.
The maturation and spawning of black scraper, Thamnaconus modestus were studied using samples collected monthly from March, 2015 to February, 2016 in the coastal waters off Middle East Sea, Korea. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) of female was the highest in June. The spawning periods lasted from March to September based on histological observation of female gonad development. The percentage of sexually mature females estimated from a logistic function was over 50% for the size group 18.02 cm (total length, TL). The size of eggs spawned was between 0.40 to 0.58 mm. Fecundity varied between 185,648 and 9,747,250 eggs. The relationship between the fecundity and TL of the fish was expressed in the fecundity equation as F = 0.0297TL5.4835.
Species composition and abundance of larval fishes in the coastal waters off Gori in the southeastern Korea were investigated from January to December in 2006. During the study period, 32 larvae species belonging to 20 families were collected. The dominant species were Engraulis japonicius, Hexagrammos agrammus, Sillago japonicus, Acropoma japonicum, Apogon lineatus, and Konosirus punctatus. These six species accounted for 87.0% of the total number of individuals collected. The number of species, number of individuals, and species diversity indices fluctuated by season. The peak numbers of species and individuals occurred in July and May, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that monthly variations in water temperature and salinity could act as an indicators of seasonal variations in the larval fish community structure and abundance of the dominant species; in particular, the abundance of S. japonicus, A. japonicum, and A. lineatus were significantly corrected with the water temperature.