Recently, domestic fishing production of Japanese horse mackerel has been continuously decreasing. To achieve sustainable fishing of this species, it is essential to acquire its target strength (TS) for accurate biomass estimation and to study its ecological characteristics. To date, there has been no TS research using a broadband echosounder targeting Japanese horse mackerel. In this study, for the first time, we synchronized an underwater camera with a broadband frequency (nominal center frequency of 200 kHz, range: 160-260 kHz) to measure the TS according to the body size (16.8-35.5 cm) and swimming angle of the species. The relationship between Japanese horse mackerel length and body weight showed a general tendency for body weight to increase as length increased. The pattern of the frequency spectra (average values) by body length exhibited a similar trend regardless of body length, with no significant fluctuations in frequency observed. The lowest TS value was observed at 243 kHz while the highest TS values were recorded at 180 and 257.5 kHz. The frequency spectra for the swimming angles appeared to be flat at angles of –5, 0, 30, 60, 75, and 80° while detecting more general trends of frequency spectra for swimming angle proved challenging. The results of this study can serve as fundamental data for Japanese horse mackerel biomass estimation and ecological research.

In September and October 2020, combined acoustic and trawl surveys were conducted in the northwestern sea of Jeju Island. In the survey area, a region, so called Jeju region, was designated to esimate the biomass of chub mackerel and jack mackerel using a trawl survey method and frequency difference method. In the September survey, the weight ratios of jack mackerel and chub mackerel to the total catch were 24.6% and 2.8%, respectively, and in the October survey, those ratios were 24.9% and 20.7%, which were used to calculate their biomass (trawl survey). Using the frequency difference range (–8 to –3dB) corresponding to two species in 120 and 200 kHz, their biomass was estimated (frequency difference method). As a result, the biomass of two species from the trawl method was 3252.3 tons in September and 5777.0 tons in October. The estimated biomass by the frequency difference method was 4926.6 tons in September and 7521.5 tons in October. It was the first trial to estimate the biomass of two species using the trawl and frequency differencing methods in South Korea although there were some differences between two methods. In addition, horizontal distributions of acoustic backscattering strength over the entire survey area were mapped.

Diet composition and trophic level of Trachurus japonicus were studied using 417 specimens collected by trawls, set nets and purse seine fisheries from March 2019 to February 2020 in the South Sea of Korea. The size of T. Japonicus ranged from 7.0 to 49.8 cm in total length. T. japonicus were a carnivore that fed mainly on euphausiids and pisces. In eddition, T. japonicus fed on small quantities of cephalopods, crabs etc. T. japonicus showed ontogenetic changes in feeding habits. The proportion of euphausiids decreased inversely proportional to body size whereas the consumption of pisces gradually increased. As body size of T. japonicus increased the mean number of prey per stomach and the mean weight of prey per stomach tended to increase, but the mean number of prey per stomach was not significantly different. As a result of the feeding strategy analysis, T. japonicus were specialized feeders with pisces and euphausiids as their dominant prey. The trophic level ranged between 3.57 ± 0.54 and 3.91 ± 0.65, and increased asymptotically with size of specimens. The average trophic level of the T. japonicus was 3.79 ± 0.61.

The diet composition of juvenile Trachurus japonicus were studied using 195 specimens collected from 2013 (May, June, July, and September) to 2014 (May, June, and July) in the coastal waters of Geumodo, Yeosu, Korea. The size of juvenile T. japonicus ranged from 4.3 to 15.2 cm in body length (BL). Juvenile T. japonicus was carnivorous and crustaceans predators that consumes mainly consumed copepods. Its diet also included small quantities of decapods, cirripedians, nematods, chaetognathans, fishes, amphipods, cumaceans, ostracods and euphausiids. The graphical method for feeding strategy revealed that juvenile T. japonicus is an opportunistic and specialized predator on copepods, especially Corycaeus. affinis, and showed narrow niche width. Juvenile T. japonicus showed ontogenetic diet change. Small size group individuals (4.3–8.0 cm BL) mainly consumed copepods. The portion of this prey item decreased in the large size group (8.0–15.2 cm BL), and this decrease was paralleled with increased consumption of decapods.

This study was focused on acoustic scattering characteristics of jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) at frequency 38, 70, and 120 kHz by Kirchhoff-ray mode (KRM) model. The body length (BL) of 16 individuals ranged in 12.2~22.0 cm (mean±S.D.: 17.8±3.2 cm) and the swimbladder length ranged in 4.2~8.6 cm (mean±S.D.: 6.6±1.6 cm) and the swimbladder cross section ranged in 1.7~6.6 cm2 (mean±S.D.: 3.8±1.6 cm2). This result shows that results correlate well between the BL and the length and cross section of swimbladder. The swimbladder angle ranged in 7~12°and the maximum TS values ranged in –16~–5°at tilt angle. The averaged TS-to-BL relationship were TS38kHz=20log10BL-65.33 (R2=0.66), TS70kHz=20log10BL-65.90 (R2=0.67), and TS120kHz=20log10BL-66.65 (R2=0.65). These results can be used fundamental data in order to estimate distribution and biomass of jack mackerel by using hydro-acoustic method.

Species composition of fishes and the recruitment properties of jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus, in the waters around the Geumo Islands in the mid-South Sea were investigated by using both sides fyke nets every month from February to December 2010. During study period, a total of 30,503 fishes (1,380.4 kg) were collected and classified into 2 classes, 16 orders, 61 families and 121 species. The dominant species was jack mackerel occupying 80.5% of total individuals and 44.4% of total biomass. The fork length range of jack mackerel was 5.5-26.8 cm and individuals about 6 cm was appeared only in the middle and southern area of the Geumo Islands in May. The new recruitment of jack mackerel appeared from May in the waters around the Geumo Islands is probably caused by the warm water intrusion associated with the development of stratification due to the extinction of seasonal coastal cold waters by the increase of solar radiation heat. Furthermore, the jack mackerels less than 6 cm recruiting in the mid-South Sea in spring were considered as mixed ones by individuals spawned in the East China Sea and in the waters around the Jeju Island considering the collected time, migration period and spawning time of them.

To investigate the catches of jack mackerel fishery, a series of fishing experiments was conducted in the high seas of the southeastern Pacific Ocean (30˚S-38˚S, 82˚W-95˚W) during the period of 9 August to 18 December, 2003 by commercial fishing vessel and research vessel. The number of 205 tows fishing was carried out in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. The total catch was 1,988 ton and CPUE was 2.4 ton/hour. CPUE showed high values in the frontal zone during the survey. Main target species caught from the experimental fishing were the jack mackerel, Trachurus murphyi (98.1%) and chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus (1.9%) as bycatch. Body length of the jack mackerel was different between female and male. The high mean catch per unit effort of jack mackerel was showed when the fishing ground of jack mackerel fishery was over the 110˚W in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. But the fluctuation of the catch per unit effort in the western part of fishing ground was not matched with those year. Reliable physical and oceanographical information will be useful for the efficiency of fishing activity. According to the result of monthly movement of center of fishing ground, the fishing activity of jack mackerel fishery was performed northward in the southeastern Pacific Ocean as time passes.

Maturation and spawning of the jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus was investigated based on the samples captured in the coastal waters around Jeju Island from January 2007 to December 2008. Gonadosomatic index began to increase in March, and reached a maximum between April to June. After spawning it began to decrease from August. Reproductive season was estimated to March-July, with peak in April. Fecundity was proportional to the size of the female, with the clutch size varying from 33,493 eggs in the smallest female(FL=27.0cm) to 627,061 eggs in the largest(FL=40.6cm). Size at 50% sexual maturity(FL50), determined from mature females, was 26.6cm FL. Annual reproductive cycles of this species could be divided into six successive stages; immature stage(September-December), nucleolus stage(January-February), yolk vesicle stage(February-March), vitellogenic stage(March-April), ripe stage(April-July) and spent stage(July-September).

스트로보광에 대한 어류의 전기생리학적 반응을 조사하기 위하여, 전갱이에 각각 4단계의 섬광빈도(1.7~25Hz)와 강도(56~415lx·s)로 광자극을 주어, 그에 대한 망막활동전위 (ERG)를 조사한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. ERG 진폭은 스트로보광을 조사한 순간에 최대가 되고, 그 후 가장 작았다가 점차 커져서 안정되는 경향을 보였다. 2. 섬광빈도에 따른 ERG 진폭은 광자극 후 약 12~17분부터 안정되는 경향을 보였다. 3. 전갱이가 받는 자극량은 섬광빈도 10Hz 에서 가장 많았고, 스트로보광 강도가 약해짐에 따라 감소하였다. 4. ERG 진폭변화는 10Hz가 가장 컸고, 스트로보광의 강도가 감소함에 따라 적었다.

본 연구에서는 스트로보광의 자극효과를 검토할 목적으로 스트로보광 강도에 따른 전갱이의 반응을 심박수의 변화로 조사하였다. 실험은 10Hz의 스트로보광강도(75 lx·s)를 1/2, 1/5, 1/15로 빛의 세기를 감소시켜, 4단계의 강도별로 심박수를 자극 전 10분간, 자극 중 30분간, 자극 후 20분간 합계 60분간을 2시간마다 3회 연속해서 측정하였다. 그 결과, 스트로보광자극 중의 심박수 증가와 자극 종료직후에 일시적으로 현저한 심박수 감소가 있었다. 스트로보광 자극효과는 자극강도의 감광에 따라 감소하였다. 반복실험에 의한 자극효과는 75 lx·s의 강도보다 약한 스크로보광 강도에서는 현저하게 나타나지 않았다.

1987년 2월부터 1988년 1월까지 낙동강 하구해역에서 채집된 전갱이(체장 4~15cm)의 식성을 조사하였다. 전갱이의 주요 먹이생물은 요각류(Copepoda), 단각류(Amphipods), 공쟁이류(Mysidacea)등의 갑각류였다. 특히 요각류가 위 내용물 중 차지하는 비율이 매우 높았다. 그 외에 십각류(Decapoda), 난바다공쟁이류(eEuphausiacea), 모악류(Chaetognatha), 갯지렁이류(Polycheata), 어란 및 자어 등이 위내용물 중 소량 발견되었다. 요각류 중에서는 Paracalanus parvus, Acartia clausi 그리고 Calanus sinicus 가 많이 섭이되었는데, 특히 C. sinicus에 대한 선호도가 높았다. 전갱이가 성장함에 따라 먹이생물의 조성이 점차 변하였다. 작은 전갱이들은 그들의 먹이를 요각류에 거의 전적으로 의존하였으나, 체장이 증가하면서 위내용물 중 요각류가 차지하는 비율은 점차 감소하였으며, 그 대신 비교적 큰 먹이생물인 단각류 및 곤쟁이류의 점유율은 점차 증가하였다.

위협광에 의한 어류의 행동제어개발을 위하여, 스트로보광에 대한 전갱이와 잉어의 명순응과정을 조사하였는데, 스트로브광의 섬광빈도는 전갱이의 경우, 1.7, 5, 10, 25, 430Hz의 5단계, 잉어의 경우는 1.7, 5, 25Hz의 3단계로 하였다. 안구표본의 채취는 조사전과 조사직후부터 1, 5, 10, 30분 경과마다 행하였고, 채취한 각 표본은 종단조직절편을 만들고 현미경 관찰을 행하였다. 망막의 순응율은 원추체지수를 구하여 나타내었다. 조사시간에 따른 평균 순응율은; \circled1 전갱이의 경우, 광조사전의 27%가 1, 5, 10, 30분 경과 시마다 각각 42.6%, 49.8%, 59.8%, 83.1%로 증가하였다. \circled2 잉어의 경우, 광조사전의 28.4%가 1, 5, 30분 경과 시마다 각각 51%, 54.9%, 91.3%로 되었다. 명순응과정은; \circled1 전갱이의 경우 430Hz, 25Hz, 5Hz, 1.7Hz, 10Hz의 순으로, \circled2 잉어의 경우는 25Hz, 5Hz, 1.7Hz의 순으로 대략 빨랐다.