Temporal and Spatial Variation in Fish Larvae in Gamak Bay and Yeoja Bay, South Sea of Korea

Fish larvae were collected monthly with an ichthyoplankton net from 18 stations (including four stations located in eelgrass beds) in Gamak Bay and Yeoja Bay, southern Korea, in 2007. In total, 33 species of fish larvae were collected, of which Engraulis japonicus (48.5%), Tridentiger trigonocephalus (21.5%), and Omobranchus elegans (9.2%) were dominant. Dominant species varied seasonally: Hexagrammos otakii during December and January, Pholis nebulosa during January and March, Acanthogobius flavimanus in April, T. trigonocephalus in May, E. japonicus during June, July, September, and November, and Sillago japonica in August. Dominant species also differed between sites inside and outside the bays. Leiognathus nuchalis, O. elegans, and T. trigonocephalus were more abundant inside, while H. otakii was more abundant outside. From cluster analysis, three groups were identified according to sampling months (January-April, May-September, and October-December) and two groups according to station (inside and outside bays). The occurrence of small larvae of almost all major fish species indicated that the bays were used as spawning and nursery grounds. An exception was Lateolabrax japonicus, whose specimens were relatively large (>19 mm TL), suggesting that this fish may spawn offshore, with its juveniles approaching the bays with growth.