plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111 | elSSN : 2287-8815
plSSN : 0374-8111elSSN : 2287-8815
Seasonal Patterns in Spatial Distribution of Fish Eggs and Larvaearound Korean Waters in 2024
변서연·김상일·주희태·최희찬·오광석1·심정희·윤석현*
국립수산과학원 기후변화연구과, 1해온부유생태연구소
This study investigated seasonal spatial patterns of fish eggs and larvae around Korean waters at 65 stations in 2024. Fish larvae were identified morphologically, whereas unidentified eggs were analyzed using DNA barcoding and metabarcoding. Assemblages were classified by hierarchical clustering of Hellinger-transformed species composition, and hydrography was evaluated using temperature and salinity. In summer and autumn, Maurolicus japonicus eggs strongly dominated the East Sea, where salinity remained high. In the Yellow Sea, Engraulis japonicus eggs and larvae dominated in summer, indicating spawning and larval occurrence. Multiple assemblages and high diversity occurred in waters south of the Korean Peninsula and the northern East China Sea. Coastal, shelf, Kuroshio-derived, and Changjiang Diluted Water also occurred there. Trichiurus japonicus eggs were concentrated in the eastern East China Sea in spring and became widely distributed across waters south of the Korean Peninsula and the northern East China Sea in summer. Winter assemblages were characterized by widespread flatfish eggs and dominant Ammodytes japonicus larvae in the Yellow Sea. These patterns suggest that hydrography and species-specific spawning may contribute to assemblage differentiation. Molecular identification improved species-level resolution and revealed otherwise unresolved spawning patterns, providing a baseline for assessing future changes around the Korean Peninsula.
Ichthyoplankton, Korean waters, Fish eggs, Fish larvae, DNA barcoding