In order to investigate the behavioral characteristics of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) released at the entrance of Jinhae Bay, Korea, the direction and range of movement, swimming speed of the fish were measured with an acoustic telemetry techniques in winter, 2015. Three wild Pacific codes WC1 to WC3 (total length 66.0, 75.0, 76.0 cm; body weight 2.84, 2.79, 3.47 kg, respectively) were tagged with the acoustic transmitter. WC1 tagged with an acoustic transmitter internally by surgical method, WC2 and WC3, externally with the acoustic data logger and a micro data logger for recording audible sound waves including timer release unit. The movement routes of the tagged fish were measured more than five hours using VR100 receiver and a directional hydrophone. The directionality of the fish movement was tested by Rayleigh’s z-Test, the statistical analysis, and a statistical program SPSS. Three tagged fishes were individually released on the sea surface around the entrance to the Jinhae Bay on 10 to 24 January 2015. WC1 moved about 13.32 km with average swimming speed of 0.63 m/s for six hours. The average swimming depth and water depth of the seabed on the route of WC1 were 7.2 and 32.9 m, respectively. The movement range of WC2 and WC3 were 7.95 and 11.06 km, approximately, with average swimming speed of 0.44 and 0.58 m/s for 5.1 and 5.3 hours, respectively. The average swimming depth of WC2 and WC3 were 18.7 and 5.0 m, and the water depth on the route, 34.4 and 29.8 m, respectively. Three fishes WC1 to WC3 were shown significant directionality in the movement (p < 0.05). Movement mean angles of WC1 to WC3 were 77.7, 76.3 and 88.1°, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the movement direction of fish (WC1 and WC2) and the tidal currents during the experimental period (p >= 0.05). Consequently, three tagged fishes were commonly moved toward outside of the entrance and headed for eastward of the Korean Peninsula, approximately, after release. It may estimate positively that the tidal current speed may affect to the swimming speed of the Pacific cod during the spring tide than the neap tide.

To estimate the movement of Pacific cod Gadus macrocephalus in the Korean Southeast Sea, three type tags were used. A total of 97 Pacific cod were tagged and released with either archival tags or conventional tags. Of these releases, commercial fishermen recovered thirteen conventional tags, and five of seven pop-up tags transmitted data to Argos satellites. Pacific cod began to move towards East Sea after release, and they spent most of their time at depths of 100 to 300m, water temperatures of 0.8 to 14.0°C. However, geographical ranges of their movement limited to area around the southern East Sea. Pacific cod attached conventional tag were recaptured near the release site(Jinhae Bay: main spawning ground) about one or two year after release. Data obtained from tagging investigations suggest that they migrated annually from spawning ground to habtat of the Korean Southeast Sea.

Hydro-acoustic surveys with scientific echo sounder were carried out to estimate the total density and distribution of the juvenile cod in Jinhae bay, Korea. The surveys were conducted 4 times from May to June using 2 frequency method (38kHz and 120kHz) and beam trawl were used to investigate the species composition. Also the catch amounts of juvenile cod were compared with the cod density estimated by the hydro-acoustic method. It was confirmed that the juvenile cod was stayed in Jinhae bay in early June and There was the relationship between catch of juvenile cod and the estimated density by hydro-acoustic survey. The number of juvenile cod was consequently about 365,000 fish (CV 12.9%) in May and 113,000 fish (CV 9.2%) in May based on the hydro-acoustic data.

The age and growth of the Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus were investigated using left sagittal otoliths of 682 individuals collected in the West Sea of Korea from January to December 2007. The seasonal changes in the ratio of an opaque zone to interval between annular rings revealed that the narrow translucent parts of the otolith were annual growth rings formed between February and March once a year. The spawning period was December to January and therefore the duration from fertilization to the complete formation of the opaque zone became thirteen months. From the parameters calculated using the average length when the year ring was formed, the estimated von Bertalanffy growth equations were Lt=100.0(1-e-0.1640(t+0.5247)) for females and Lt=64.6(1-e-0.3335 (t+0.3342)) for males when is total length in age t.

Maturation and spawning of the Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus was investigated based on the samples captured in East Sea of Korea from April 2006 to July 2007. Gonadosomatic index began to increase in November, and reached maximum between December and January. After spawning it began to decrease from March. Reproductive season was estimated to November-February, with peak in January. Fecundity was proportional to the size of the female, with the clutch size varying from 753,985 eggs in the smallest female(TL＝58.6cm) to 9,311,520 eggs in the largest(TL＝101.0cm). Size at 50% sexual maturity(TL50%) determined from mature females was 56.3cm of TL. Annual reproductive cycles of this species could be divided into six successive stages; immature stage(March-September), nucleolus stage(September-October), yolk vesicle stage(October-November), vitellogenic stage (November-December), ripe stage and spent stage(December-February).