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The population structure of Japanese sardinella Sardinella zunasi around Japan was examined based on complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial control region. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four major lineages (A–D). The frequency of lineage A was higher on the Pacific coast, in the Seto Inland Sea, and on the Sea of Japan coast of Kyushu, while the frequency of lineage B was higher on the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu and in Ariake Sound. The frequency of lineage C was much lower than that of lineages A and B at all nine localities in Japan. Lineage D was detected only in Ariake Sound and the Seto Inland Sea, being considered to be a continental relict. The current distribution pattern of S. zunasi was indicated to be constructed by secondary contact among those four lineages, each having different evolutionary history. Hierarchical analyses of molecular variance indicated S. zunasi around Japan to be structured into three units: (1) the group of the coast of Kyushu, including Ariake Sound, and the Pacific coast south of the Izu Peninsula, including the Seto Inland Sea, (2) the Pacific coast north of the Izu Peninsula, and (3) the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu.

In this study, we conducted field surveys to investigate and analyze species and length composition of catch from gape net with wings being set in two areas - Masari, Supomri - located in southern part of Jin-do for understanding fishing characteristics of gape net with wings fishery from March to September of 2011. And with those results, we attempted to propose fishery management strategy to harvest fisheries resources continuously. Catch obtained from field surveys comprised total 78 species, which accounted for 53 species of fish, 20 species of crustacean, 4 species of cephalopod and one of polychaete. As to species composition in weight, it showed that there was 88.5% for pisces, 9.0% for cephalopoda and 2.5% for crustacea. As to catch specifics by area, there was 36 species (596,891 individual, 456,551g) of pisces, 17 species (35,815 individual, 12,909g) of crustacea and 3 species (2,876 individual, 3,004g) of cephalopoda in Masari area. In Supumri area, there was 41 species (396,898 individual, 281,457g) of pisces, 15 species (16,113 individual, 7,772g) of crustacea and 4 species (6,792 individual, 72,329g) of cephalopoda and one polychaeta (36 individual, 11g). Catch of anchovy by month recorded on high level on June, July, September in both areas. When considering size composition by month, it was found that new populations recruit to these fishing grounds on June and September. Most of bycatch species including hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus), dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus), conger eel (Leptocephalous), Pacific sandlance (Ammodytes personatus), horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) were juvenile, and grass puffer (Takifugu niphobles), Kammal thryssa (Thryssa kammalensis), Japanese sardinella (Sardinella zunasi) were also small in size. As a result, it is considered that gape net with wings fishery which is likely to catch juvenile needs to be set fishing prohibit period for conserving above stocks during the period excluding main fishing periods of anchovy or fisheries management such as expanding mesh size for preventing juvenile catch.

To elucidate the species compositions of estuarine and inshore fauna and compare productivities between them, catch were collected by bag nets in the Han River estuary off Ganghwa Island and the inshore waters off Jangbong Island for 24 hours at the spring tide from March to December 2010. Community structures of nekton assemblages were different with area, month, taxonomic groups. Although the diversity of estuarine nekton assemblage was lower than that of inshore nekton assemblage, the productivity of nekton assemblage in estuary was higher than that in the inshore waters. Nekton assemblages were distributed according to habitat environment: the estuarine species, Coilia mystus, Chelon haematocheilus, Collichthys lucidus were prominent in the Han River estuary off Ganghwa Island, and marine species, Thryssa kammalensis, Sardinella zunasi, Portunus trituberculatus were prominent in the inshore waters off Jangbong Island. Palaemon gravieri, Exopalaemon carinicauda, Synechogobius hasta were inhabited in both waters. The health assessment of estuarine ecosystem based on scientific research will be contributed to the effective management of estuary with determination of order and direction in policy.

We documented the temporal occurrence patterns and habitat use of fish in the Mangyeong River estuary on the western coast of Korea from February to December 2003 based on monthly samples collected with a stow net. A total of 46 fish species were collected during the study period. Chelon haematocheilus, Konosirus punctatus, Neosalanx jordani, Sardinella zunasi, Synechogobius hasta, and Thryssa kammalensis were the predominate species, accounting for 84.4% of the collected fish. We classified the fish as brackish water (BF), coastal migratory (CMF), diadromous (DF), or freshwater (FF) fish. BF such as C. haematocheilus, S. hasta, and Coilia nasus were the most abundant and were collected almost year-round. As water temperatures increased in spring, adult CMF, such as K. punctatus, S. zunasi, T. kammalensis, T. adelae, Johnius grypotus, Miichthys miiuy, and Larimichthys polyactis, entered the estuary. In summer, large numbers of their juvenile offspring were caught, indicating a peak in fish abundance. The juveniles grew in the estuary before moving out to deeper waters for overwintering. Diadromous juveniles, such as those of Anguilla japonica (commonly known as glass eel), were collected in the spring during their upstream migration. FF, such as Carassius cuvieri and Acheilognathus rhombeus, were collected during the rainy season. In terms of the number of species, the number of individuals, and the biomass, the ratio of BF to all other fish type classifications in the Mangyeong Estuary (without a dam) was higher than that in the Geum River estuary (with a dam). The fish assemblage in the Mangyeong Estuary still maintained estuarine characteristics before dike enclosure, providing habitats for BF, nursery grounds for CMF, and migratory pathways for DF.

During June, August and October 2006, there were three multi-disciplinary surveys carried out in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters (122°00′–125°00′E, 27°50′–34°00′N) by R/V Beidou to study the species composition and abundance of ichthyoplankton (including fish eggs, larvae and juveniles), the spatial distribution of fish spawning ground and their relationship with habitat factors. There were 29, 29 and 25 grid stations sampled in the three cruises, respectively. The ichthyoplankton samples were collected by horizontally towing with a macro-plankton net (mouth diameter 80 cm, length 270 cm, mesh size 0.50 mm) at the sea surface, and the towing speed was 3.0 n mile/h at each sampling station. The towing lasted for 10 min. After hauling for each station, habitat factors including temperature and salinity were measured by Sea Bird-25 CTD. Samples were preserved in 5% formaldehyde solution immediately after sampling for analysis in laboratory. Since the trawl speed could not be accurately evaluated due to the effects of ocean currents and wind-induced wave, the amount of ichthyoplankton was evaluated by actual number of the sampling haul in each station. Ichthyoplankton collected were divided into three categories: dominant species, important species and main species by the index of relative importance ( IRI ). There are 71 species (including 1200 fish eggs and 2575 fish larvae and juveniles) collected during 3 cruises and 59 species have been correctly identified to species level, which belongs to 50 genera, 37 families and 9 orders; while 5 species can only be identified to genera level, 1 species only identified to family level and 6 species identified to order level. These 59 species identified to species level and 5 species identified to genera level are divided into three ecological patterns, i.e., brackish water species, neritic water species and coastal water species. Warm water species have 34 species in those 59 species identified to species level, accounting for 57.63%, warm temperature species have 25 species, accounting for 42.37%. According to the analysis of IRI , the dominant species are Engraulis japonicus (in June and August, that is important species in October), Scomber japonicus (in August), and Johnius grypotus (in October) during the survey; important species are Cynoglossus joyneri (in June and August), Trichiurus lepturus (in June, August and October), Gonorhynchus abbreviatus (in August), Stolephorus commersonii (in October), Saurida undosquamis (in October) and Saurida elongate (in October), and main species have 12 species in June, 9 species in August and 10 species in October, respectively. The amount of fish eggs and larvae of the dominant species, important species and main species (28 species) are 97.50% and 97.13% of the total amount of fish eggs and larvae, respectively, which are the important composition of fish eggs and larvae in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters. In June and August of 2006, if compared with that in corresponding months in 1986, there are great changes in the habitat factors especially for temperature and salinity in the investigating areas: high salinity water from off-shelf is much closer to the coastal areas which results in the dramatic increase of sea surface salinity during all three surveys. Sea surface temperature, on the other hand, decreases distinctively in June, but significantly increases in August. The run-off of the Changjiang River greatly reduced due to the long-term drought in summer 2006, which is responsible for the great changes of habitat factors in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters. The habitat of the Changjiang River estuary is greatly changed, which consequently has significant influences on the spawning, breeding and the spatial distribution of spawning ground of neritic water species, such as Sardinella zunasi , Thryssa kammalensis , Thryssa mystax , Setipinna taty and S. commersonii ect, and coastal water species, such as Ilisha elongate and Konosirus punctatus ect.

Seasonal variation in species composition of fish in the Geum River estuary was determined using monthly samples collected with a bag net from February to December 2003. Of a total of seventy-three species collected, four groups of fishes were distinguished. Estuarine fishes such as Chelon haematocheilus and Synechogobius hasta were collected almost all the seasons and predominated in abundance during cold months. Coastal fish species such as Sardinella zunasi, Konosirus punctatus, Engraulis japonicus, Johnius grypotus and Thryssa kammalensis were dominated from late spring to autumn. Their adults entered into the estuary in spring and a large number of their juveniles were collected in summer and autumn till moving out to deeper waters for over-wintering. A few freshwater fishes were collected when the freshwater was discharged during the rainy season. Anguilla japonica elvers (diadromous fish) and Coilia nasus (amphidromous fish) were collected in spring during their upstream migration. The principal component analysis revealed that the seasonal variation in species composition of fishes was principally determined by water temperature and/or water temperature related factors.

Variation in fish assemblages was investigated to clarify the migration patterns and growth rates of marine, brackish and freshwater species in three adjacent areas with different salinities. In the polyhaline Lake Nakaumi, Japan, benthic fishes and crustaceans were negatively affected by oxygen depletion in the lower water under stratification during the warm seasons. On the other hand, marine and brackish species that once migrated into the Honjo Area, which is isolated from L. Nakaumi and has a homogeneous salinity structure, remained and grew there until winter. In the mesohaline Lake Shinji, two types of fishes were distinguished: one that migrated into the lake during the warmer seasons; and the other which stayed in the lake during winter. Fauna and production in L. Shinji were compared with those of a comprehensive study carried out approximately 35 years ago. For 35 years, Konosirus punctatus and Sardinella zunasi have increased in abundance, while Carassius sp. and Hypomesus nipponensis have decreased. Even with the recent acceleration in eutrophication of the lake, fish production during the warmer seasons has not declined for 35 years, but the fish fauna have drastically changed.