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.

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.

한국 연안에서 해수 유동모델과 입자 추적자 모델을 사용하여 대구 자치어의 이동을 파악하였다. 산란지역인 진해만, 영일만 및 강릉 앞바다에서 산란한 대구 자치어가 주변해역의 조류, 수온 및 염분, TWC(Tsushima Warm Current)에 어떻게 작용하는가를 살펴보았다. 조석잔차류는 동해연안을 따라 남향하고 이 흐름이 부산-쓰시마 북쪽해역에서 일본 연안쪽으로 흐르 는 흐름이 우세하게 나타났다. 조석잔차류에 TWC의 고려한 흐름은 남해 서쪽과 동쪽의 경계역에서 유입하여 서수도의 쓰시마 연안을 거쳐 북동쪽의 흐름과 동수도로 유입하는 흐름이 부산과 일본 서쪽에서 합류하여 일본 연안으로 북상하여 나타났다. 진해만의 산란지점에서, 조석잔차류에 의한 대구 자치어의 이동은 동해쪽으로의 이동은 작게 나타나고 남해쪽으로의 이동이 우 점하였다. 그러나 TWC의 영향을 고려한 자치어의 이동은 서수도를 지나 일본 연안으로 이동하여 나타났다.

대구 자치어의 거동을 파악하기 위해서 해수 유동모델과 자치어 추적자 모델을 통합하여 수행하였다. 먼저 한국 남 해안의 해수 유동 특성을 알기 위해 조류, 취송류, 밀도류를 조사하였다. 외해역에서는 조석잔차류가 대조시 동쪽으로 향하는 흐름을 보였고, 소조시 서쪽으로 향하는 흐름을 보였다. 잔차류의 분포를 보면 표층에서는 연안에서 외해로 나가는 남향류가 우 세하고 중․저층에서는 동향류가 나타났다. 밀도류는 연안에서 보다 외양에서 크게 나타났다. 취송류는 연안역에서 먼 바다보 다 더 강하게 나타났다. 자치어 추적자 모델을 이용하여 대구 자치어의 시간에 따른 공간적 분포를 보면, 진해만 안쪽 보다는 진해만 입구에서 대구 자치어를 방류할 경우 이류에 의해 더 빠르게 확산하는 것으로 판단된다.

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).