Length frequency data of small yellow croaker （Larimichthys polyactis） were acquired from the survey vessel in May, July, September and December, 2011 in Haizhou Bay of China. In this study, 921 fish individuals wer...Length frequency data of small yellow croaker （Larimichthys polyactis） were acquired from the survey vessel in May, July, September and December, 2011 in Haizhou Bay of China. In this study, 921 fish individuals were analyzed for the estimation of growth and mortality parameters. Between length and weight, the power coefficient b was 2.7321, 2.9703, 3.0418 and 2.7252 for the 4 surveying months, respectively. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth function parameters were 230mm （L∞） and 0.26yr-1 （K） as were calculated with ELEFAN method equipped in FiSAT computer package. With length-converted catch curve analysis, the total mortality rate （Z） and its 95% confidence interval were 2.16 （1.69-2.64） yr-1, 0.59 （0.15-1.04） yr-1, 1.16 （0.80-1.52） yrl and 0.96 （0.70-1.23） yr1 for the 4 surveying months, respectively, with the pooled data the value was 1.15 （0.81-1.48） yr1. The natural mor- tality rate （M） was 0.516 yr 1 as was calculated with Pauly＇s equation （the annual average sea water temperature was 11 ℃）. Therefore, fish mortality rate was 0.634 yrz. The yield-per-recruit analysis indicated that when tc was 1, Fmax, was 0.7 and F01 was 0.55. Cur- rently, the age at first capture is about 1 year and Fcurrent was 0.634. Therefore, Fcurrent was larger than F0.1 and less than Fmax. This indicates that current fish mortality is at a dangerously high level. With Gulland method, the biological reference point for fishery （Fopt） was estimated as 0.516 yr1, lower than current fish mortality. Accordingly, reducing catch in the region was strongly recom- mended.展开更多
The geographical variations in life history characteristics of small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis, caused by experienced different environmental conditions, have been observed in China seas. Previous studies ...The geographical variations in life history characteristics of small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis, caused by experienced different environmental conditions, have been observed in China seas. Previous studies based on spatial distribution, migration route, and body morphometrics suggested a complex stock structure. In this study, to clarify the source of a spawning stock, we investigated the reproduction strategy and inter-structure of the Haizhou Bay (HZB) spawning stock in the middle Yellow Sea from both egg survey and adult otolith increment analysis. Egg and adult samples were collected from three surveys during spawning season in 2013. Distinct spatial and temporal variations were detected in egg distribution and size, and otolith shape analysis of adult fishes revealed two morphotypes with different increment growth using random forest cluster. The results indicate the existence of two components within the same spawning stock in HZB from different wintering grounds, and accordingly special protection should be required for this stock given the significance to maintain connectivity between adjacent subpopulations.展开更多
As fish stocks have been overexploited and catches have decreased over the last few years,the cephalopod catch has increased globally to the point that they are now among the most important marine resources in the wor...As fish stocks have been overexploited and catches have decreased over the last few years,the cephalopod catch has increased globally to the point that they are now among the most important marine resources in the world.Climate change and hu-man activities greatly affect the growth and abundance of cephalopods.Understanding how the individual growth of key species varies and how they respond to environmental changes is essential for an effective fishery management.Loliolus beka and Amphioc-topus fangsiao are two dominant species in the cephalopod community of Yellow Sea(YS).Both of them are commercially impor-tant and have great ecological values.Herein,we compared the body weights(BW)of these two species from 2011 to 2018 based on an analysis of biological parameters(i.e.,mantle length and BW)from trawl surveys in the YS.Considerable temporal variations in the BW of the two species are apparent.Specifically,the BW of L.beka was the lowest in 2011 and the highest in 2017,and the well growth was noted in 2015-2018.The BW of A.fangsiao was the lowest in 2013 and the highest in 2016,while well growth was ob-served in 2015-2016.Mixed-effect models indicate that the BW of these species correlates significantly with the sea surface tem-perature(SST)and Southern Oscillation Index(SOI),suggesting the impact of the regional environment associated with strong ENSO events on BW.In a different response window,growth increases with increased SST and decreases with increased SOI.The consistent patterns of the BW of these cephalopods in response to environmental factors demonstrate they can be employed as indi-cator species for studying environmental change in the YS.Our results improve the understanding of the responses of cephalopods to environmental changes in the YS,as well as the mechanisms that drive their growth.Such information is critical for the effective management and sustainable development of cephalopod fisheries in this region.展开更多
Surveys were conducted in five voyages in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent coastal area from March to December 2011 during full moon spring tides. The ichthyoplankton assemblages and the environmental factors that affect ...Surveys were conducted in five voyages in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent coastal area from March to December 2011 during full moon spring tides. The ichthyoplankton assemblages and the environmental factors that affect their spatial and seasonal patterns were determined. Totally 35 and 12 fish egg and larvae taxa were identified, respectively. Over the past several decades, the egg and larval species composition has significantly changed in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent waters, most likely corresponding with the alteration of fishery resources, which are strongly affected by anthropogenic activities and climate change. The Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index identified four assemblages: near-shore bay assemblage, middle bay assemblage and two closely related assemblages(near-shore/middle bay assemblage and middle/edge of bay assemblage). The primary species of each assemblage principally reflected the spawning strategies of adult fish. The near-shore bay assemblage generally occurred in near-shore bay, with depths measuring <20 m, and the middle bay assemblage generally occurred in the middle of bay, with depths measuring 20 to 40 m. Spatial and seasonal variations in ichthyoplankton in each assemblage were determined by interactions between biological behavioral traits and oceanographic features, particularly the variation of local conditions within the constraint of a general reproductive strategy. The results of Spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated that both fish egg and larval abundance were positively correlated with depth, which is critical to the oceanographic features in Haizhou Bay.展开更多
The spatial and temporal characteristics of trophic structure of fish communities in the southern Huanghai Sea were examined based on the data sampled from bottom trawl surveys conducted during the autumn of 2000 and ...The spatial and temporal characteristics of trophic structure of fish communities in the southern Huanghai Sea were examined based on the data sampled from bottom trawl surveys conducted during the autumn of 2000 and the spring of 2001. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster method and bootstrap randomization were used to identify significant trophic groups for each fish assemblage in the southern Huanghai Sea. A total of six major trophic groups were identified within this system, which classified predators based upon location in the water column or prey size （ i. e. , benthic to pelagic predators or fish to small invertebrate prey predators）. The similarity level used to identify significant trophic groups in each assemblage ranged from 24% to 34%. Although planktivores were the dominant trophic group in each assemblage （60% - 79% ）, there were spatial and temporal variations in the trophic structure, which reflected the differences in the abundance and availability of dominant preys. Simplified food webs were constructed to evaluate the most important trophic relationships between the dominant prey taxa and the fishes in each assemblage within this system. Although there were some differences in the key prey species among different food webs, pelagic prey items （mainly euphausiids and copepods） represent the most important energetic link between primary producers and higher trophic level predators. The trophic level for most fishes was between 3 and d, and the weighted mean trophic level for each assemblage ranged from 3.3 to 3.4. Compared with previous study in the mid-1980s, there was an obvious downward trend in the trophic level for most fish species, which resulted mainly from the fluctuation in key prey species in the Huanghai Sea. The decrease in the importance of Japanese anchovy seems to be offset by other abundant prey species such as Euphausia pacifica and copepods （ mainly Calanus sinicus ） .展开更多
The live-bearing genus Sebastes is renowned for its outstanding species richness and color diversity,and its speciation has been a point of interest.This study investigated the age,growth,reproductive biology,color pa...The live-bearing genus Sebastes is renowned for its outstanding species richness and color diversity,and its speciation has been a point of interest.This study investigated the age,growth,reproductive biology,color pattern and ontogenetic divergence of a pair of closely related rockfishes from the coasts of the Shandong Peninsula,namely,Sebastes koreanus(n=879)and S.nudus(n=257).Marginal increment analysis of sectioned otoliths showed that annulus formation occurred once a year between June and July in both species.The sex-pooled growth curves of S.nudus and 3 populations of S.koreanus differed significantly from each other.No apparent latitudinal cline in growth parameters was found in S.koreanus.For both species,the peak parturition periods were from April to May,and the peak copulation periods were from November to December.S.nudus has a highly variable and conspicuous color pattern while S.koreanus has a stable and dull color pattem.This difference,together with the overlapping distribution and the close relationship,make S.koreanus and S.nudus an ideal model to investigate the color-driven speciation of the Sebastes.We confirmed that S.nudus changes its body color with age and season and fully expresses the carotenoid-based nuptial coloration when the fish reaches first maturity.Moreover,our comparisons of morphological traits that are likely related to survival and quality of these fishes suggested that S.nudus may suffer higher predation risk and foraging difficulty beginning at age 3.In light of the ontogenetic development of the color pattern in S.nudus,we suggested that the full expression of nuptial coloration most likely triggers the strong selective pressure to enhance swimming performance,anti-predator defense and foraging capacity of S.nudus through predator-prey interactions.By understanding all these details,we further inferred a hypothesis that both color pattem and bathymetric segregation play key roles in facilitating the speciation of demersal rockfishes.展开更多
Sagittal otoliths morphology were compared to identify five Pampus species of the Chinese coast（Chinese pomfret Pampus chinensis, grey pomfret P. cinereus, southern lesser pomfret P. minor, plumage pomfret P.punctati...Sagittal otoliths morphology were compared to identify five Pampus species of the Chinese coast（Chinese pomfret Pampus chinensis, grey pomfret P. cinereus, southern lesser pomfret P. minor, plumage pomfret P.punctatissmus, and Pampus sp.）. Otoliths demonstrated species-specific characteristics with noticeable differences in overall shape, margin and anterior region among species. With species divergence, otoliths get thinner following further developed rostrum and anti-rostrum. Interspecies variation in otolith could associate with experienced different temperature and water column. The discriminant analysis presented a high classification accuracy of 96.6%, which confirms the inter-specific distinction of otolith shape and enable the species identification.展开更多
The Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius(Cuvier,1832)is widely distributed in the subtropical and temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean,supporting one of the most important commercial fisheri...The Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius(Cuvier,1832)is widely distributed in the subtropical and temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean,supporting one of the most important commercial fisheries in China.However,ignoring the potential population structure changes induced by fishing pressure and climate change may undermine the population stability under the current management strategy.In this study,the population structure of the Japanese Spanish mackerel was investigated based on a morphometric truss network system.A total of 534 individuals were randomly collected from commercial gill nets spanning eight major spawning grounds in the Bohai,Yellow,and East China Seas during the peak spawning seasons respectively.A total of 17 measurements(including eye diameter)were conducted in each specimen and subjected to principal component analysis(PCA)and discriminant function analysis(DFA).The results of PCA indicated that the first two factors cumulatively caused 78.38%of the total morphometric variation and observable differences,primarily fin the caudal and trunk areas.The results of DFA revealed that the eight spawning groups can be divided into three stocks,i.e.,southern,middle,and northern stocks,with 68.7%of total accuracy.In contrast to previous studies,the spawning groups of the Japanese Spanish mackerel demonstrated a tendency to disperse to northern regions.In conclusion,this study found that to maintain the stability of the population structure and the total production of Japanese Spanish mackerel S.niphonius(Cuvier,1832),a newly revised management method should be developed and implemented.展开更多
This study used specimens of marine organisms caught by rectangular midwater trawl in the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,in austral summer 2019/2020,to determine species composition and spatial distributions of mesopela...This study used specimens of marine organisms caught by rectangular midwater trawl in the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,in austral summer 2019/2020,to determine species composition and spatial distributions of mesopelagic fauna in this sea.The data were also used to calculate the length-weight relationships of three common fishes captured during the survey(Electrona antarctica,Bathylagus antarcticus,and Cyclothone microdon).A total of 385 individual organisms with a total weight of 15462.2 g and representing 17 species were collected across the 11 stations visited.The small-sized crown jellyfish Atolla wyvillei(order Coronatae)was the most-dominant species by number(96 individuals),and the zooplankton Cyllopus lucasii(Amphipoda)also showed high abundance(54 individuals).Among fishes,81 individuals of Notolepis coatsorum(Paralepididae)were caught,followed by 71 individuals of E.antarctica(Myctophidae),25 individuals of B.antarcticus(Bathylagidae),and 16 individuals of C.microdon(Gonostomatidae).Clustering analysis divided the mesopelagic community into“west”and“east”groups,and a greater number of individuals were collected in the western part of the sea.The length-weight relationships of the three common fishes revealed positive allometric growth for B.antarcticus(b=3.16),and negative allometric growth for E.antarctica and C.microdon(both b=2.53).Our descriptions of the mesopelagic-zone community structure and biological features of three common fishes provide basic information on the ecology of the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,and will be useful for ecosystem-based fisheries management in this region.展开更多
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (Grant No. 201022001)
文摘Length frequency data of small yellow croaker （Larimichthys polyactis） were acquired from the survey vessel in May, July, September and December, 2011 in Haizhou Bay of China. In this study, 921 fish individuals were analyzed for the estimation of growth and mortality parameters. Between length and weight, the power coefficient b was 2.7321, 2.9703, 3.0418 and 2.7252 for the 4 surveying months, respectively. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth function parameters were 230mm （L∞） and 0.26yr-1 （K） as were calculated with ELEFAN method equipped in FiSAT computer package. With length-converted catch curve analysis, the total mortality rate （Z） and its 95% confidence interval were 2.16 （1.69-2.64） yr-1, 0.59 （0.15-1.04） yr-1, 1.16 （0.80-1.52） yrl and 0.96 （0.70-1.23） yr1 for the 4 surveying months, respectively, with the pooled data the value was 1.15 （0.81-1.48） yr1. The natural mor- tality rate （M） was 0.516 yr 1 as was calculated with Pauly＇s equation （the annual average sea water temperature was 11 ℃）. Therefore, fish mortality rate was 0.634 yrz. The yield-per-recruit analysis indicated that when tc was 1, Fmax, was 0.7 and F01 was 0.55. Cur- rently, the age at first capture is about 1 year and Fcurrent was 0.634. Therefore, Fcurrent was larger than F0.1 and less than Fmax. This indicates that current fish mortality is at a dangerously high level. With Gulland method, the biological reference point for fishery （Fopt） was estimated as 0.516 yr1, lower than current fish mortality. Accordingly, reducing catch in the region was strongly recom- mended.
基金Supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.201562030)
文摘The geographical variations in life history characteristics of small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis, caused by experienced different environmental conditions, have been observed in China seas. Previous studies based on spatial distribution, migration route, and body morphometrics suggested a complex stock structure. In this study, to clarify the source of a spawning stock, we investigated the reproduction strategy and inter-structure of the Haizhou Bay (HZB) spawning stock in the middle Yellow Sea from both egg survey and adult otolith increment analysis. Egg and adult samples were collected from three surveys during spawning season in 2013. Distinct spatial and temporal variations were detected in egg distribution and size, and otolith shape analysis of adult fishes revealed two morphotypes with different increment growth using random forest cluster. The results indicate the existence of two components within the same spawning stock in HZB from different wintering grounds, and accordingly special protection should be required for this stock given the significance to maintain connectivity between adjacent subpopulations.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41930534 and 41861134037).
文摘As fish stocks have been overexploited and catches have decreased over the last few years,the cephalopod catch has increased globally to the point that they are now among the most important marine resources in the world.Climate change and hu-man activities greatly affect the growth and abundance of cephalopods.Understanding how the individual growth of key species varies and how they respond to environmental changes is essential for an effective fishery management.Loliolus beka and Amphioc-topus fangsiao are two dominant species in the cephalopod community of Yellow Sea(YS).Both of them are commercially impor-tant and have great ecological values.Herein,we compared the body weights(BW)of these two species from 2011 to 2018 based on an analysis of biological parameters(i.e.,mantle length and BW)from trawl surveys in the YS.Considerable temporal variations in the BW of the two species are apparent.Specifically,the BW of L.beka was the lowest in 2011 and the highest in 2017,and the well growth was noted in 2015-2018.The BW of A.fangsiao was the lowest in 2013 and the highest in 2016,while well growth was ob-served in 2015-2016.Mixed-effect models indicate that the BW of these species correlates significantly with the sea surface tem-perature(SST)and Southern Oscillation Index(SOI),suggesting the impact of the regional environment associated with strong ENSO events on BW.In a different response window,growth increases with increased SST and decreases with increased SOI.The consistent patterns of the BW of these cephalopods in response to environmental factors demonstrate they can be employed as indi-cator species for studying environmental change in the YS.Our results improve the understanding of the responses of cephalopods to environmental changes in the YS,as well as the mechanisms that drive their growth.Such information is critical for the effective management and sustainable development of cephalopod fisheries in this region.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.201022001201262004)+1 种基金the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean(No.201305030)the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education(No.20120132130001)
文摘Surveys were conducted in five voyages in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent coastal area from March to December 2011 during full moon spring tides. The ichthyoplankton assemblages and the environmental factors that affect their spatial and seasonal patterns were determined. Totally 35 and 12 fish egg and larvae taxa were identified, respectively. Over the past several decades, the egg and larval species composition has significantly changed in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent waters, most likely corresponding with the alteration of fishery resources, which are strongly affected by anthropogenic activities and climate change. The Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index identified four assemblages: near-shore bay assemblage, middle bay assemblage and two closely related assemblages(near-shore/middle bay assemblage and middle/edge of bay assemblage). The primary species of each assemblage principally reflected the spawning strategies of adult fish. The near-shore bay assemblage generally occurred in near-shore bay, with depths measuring <20 m, and the middle bay assemblage generally occurred in the middle of bay, with depths measuring 20 to 40 m. Spatial and seasonal variations in ichthyoplankton in each assemblage were determined by interactions between biological behavioral traits and oceanographic features, particularly the variation of local conditions within the constraint of a general reproductive strategy. The results of Spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated that both fish egg and larval abundance were positively correlated with depth, which is critical to the oceanographic features in Haizhou Bay.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.30490233the National Basic Research Program ("973"Program) of China under contract Nos2006CB400608 and 2005CB422306
文摘The spatial and temporal characteristics of trophic structure of fish communities in the southern Huanghai Sea were examined based on the data sampled from bottom trawl surveys conducted during the autumn of 2000 and the spring of 2001. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster method and bootstrap randomization were used to identify significant trophic groups for each fish assemblage in the southern Huanghai Sea. A total of six major trophic groups were identified within this system, which classified predators based upon location in the water column or prey size （ i. e. , benthic to pelagic predators or fish to small invertebrate prey predators）. The similarity level used to identify significant trophic groups in each assemblage ranged from 24% to 34%. Although planktivores were the dominant trophic group in each assemblage （60% - 79% ）, there were spatial and temporal variations in the trophic structure, which reflected the differences in the abundance and availability of dominant preys. Simplified food webs were constructed to evaluate the most important trophic relationships between the dominant prey taxa and the fishes in each assemblage within this system. Although there were some differences in the key prey species among different food webs, pelagic prey items （mainly euphausiids and copepods） represent the most important energetic link between primary producers and higher trophic level predators. The trophic level for most fishes was between 3 and d, and the weighted mean trophic level for each assemblage ranged from 3.3 to 3.4. Compared with previous study in the mid-1980s, there was an obvious downward trend in the trophic level for most fish species, which resulted mainly from the fluctuation in key prey species in the Huanghai Sea. The decrease in the importance of Japanese anchovy seems to be offset by other abundant prey species such as Euphausia pacifica and copepods （ mainly Calanus sinicus ） .
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41876177)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.201822027)
文摘The live-bearing genus Sebastes is renowned for its outstanding species richness and color diversity,and its speciation has been a point of interest.This study investigated the age,growth,reproductive biology,color pattern and ontogenetic divergence of a pair of closely related rockfishes from the coasts of the Shandong Peninsula,namely,Sebastes koreanus(n=879)and S.nudus(n=257).Marginal increment analysis of sectioned otoliths showed that annulus formation occurred once a year between June and July in both species.The sex-pooled growth curves of S.nudus and 3 populations of S.koreanus differed significantly from each other.No apparent latitudinal cline in growth parameters was found in S.koreanus.For both species,the peak parturition periods were from April to May,and the peak copulation periods were from November to December.S.nudus has a highly variable and conspicuous color pattern while S.koreanus has a stable and dull color pattem.This difference,together with the overlapping distribution and the close relationship,make S.koreanus and S.nudus an ideal model to investigate the color-driven speciation of the Sebastes.We confirmed that S.nudus changes its body color with age and season and fully expresses the carotenoid-based nuptial coloration when the fish reaches first maturity.Moreover,our comparisons of morphological traits that are likely related to survival and quality of these fishes suggested that S.nudus may suffer higher predation risk and foraging difficulty beginning at age 3.In light of the ontogenetic development of the color pattern in S.nudus,we suggested that the full expression of nuptial coloration most likely triggers the strong selective pressure to enhance swimming performance,anti-predator defense and foraging capacity of S.nudus through predator-prey interactions.By understanding all these details,we further inferred a hypothesis that both color pattem and bathymetric segregation play key roles in facilitating the speciation of demersal rockfishes.
基金The Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean under contract No.201305030the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education under contract No.20120132130001the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under contract No.201262004
文摘Sagittal otoliths morphology were compared to identify five Pampus species of the Chinese coast（Chinese pomfret Pampus chinensis, grey pomfret P. cinereus, southern lesser pomfret P. minor, plumage pomfret P.punctatissmus, and Pampus sp.）. Otoliths demonstrated species-specific characteristics with noticeable differences in overall shape, margin and anterior region among species. With species divergence, otoliths get thinner following further developed rostrum and anti-rostrum. Interspecies variation in otolith could associate with experienced different temperature and water column. The discriminant analysis presented a high classification accuracy of 96.6%, which confirms the inter-specific distinction of otolith shape and enable the species identification.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Ocean University of China(Nos.201762015 and 201822027)
文摘The Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius(Cuvier,1832)is widely distributed in the subtropical and temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean,supporting one of the most important commercial fisheries in China.However,ignoring the potential population structure changes induced by fishing pressure and climate change may undermine the population stability under the current management strategy.In this study,the population structure of the Japanese Spanish mackerel was investigated based on a morphometric truss network system.A total of 534 individuals were randomly collected from commercial gill nets spanning eight major spawning grounds in the Bohai,Yellow,and East China Seas during the peak spawning seasons respectively.A total of 17 measurements(including eye diameter)were conducted in each specimen and subjected to principal component analysis(PCA)and discriminant function analysis(DFA).The results of PCA indicated that the first two factors cumulatively caused 78.38%of the total morphometric variation and observable differences,primarily fin the caudal and trunk areas.The results of DFA revealed that the eight spawning groups can be divided into three stocks,i.e.,southern,middle,and northern stocks,with 68.7%of total accuracy.In contrast to previous studies,the spawning groups of the Japanese Spanish mackerel demonstrated a tendency to disperse to northern regions.In conclusion,this study found that to maintain the stability of the population structure and the total production of Japanese Spanish mackerel S.niphonius(Cuvier,1832),a newly revised management method should be developed and implemented.
基金financially supported by National Polar Special Program“Impact and Response of Antarctic Seas to Climate Change”(Grant no.IRASCC 01-02-05C).
文摘This study used specimens of marine organisms caught by rectangular midwater trawl in the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,in austral summer 2019/2020,to determine species composition and spatial distributions of mesopelagic fauna in this sea.The data were also used to calculate the length-weight relationships of three common fishes captured during the survey(Electrona antarctica,Bathylagus antarcticus,and Cyclothone microdon).A total of 385 individual organisms with a total weight of 15462.2 g and representing 17 species were collected across the 11 stations visited.The small-sized crown jellyfish Atolla wyvillei(order Coronatae)was the most-dominant species by number(96 individuals),and the zooplankton Cyllopus lucasii(Amphipoda)also showed high abundance(54 individuals).Among fishes,81 individuals of Notolepis coatsorum(Paralepididae)were caught,followed by 71 individuals of E.antarctica(Myctophidae),25 individuals of B.antarcticus(Bathylagidae),and 16 individuals of C.microdon(Gonostomatidae).Clustering analysis divided the mesopelagic community into“west”and“east”groups,and a greater number of individuals were collected in the western part of the sea.The length-weight relationships of the three common fishes revealed positive allometric growth for B.antarcticus(b=3.16),and negative allometric growth for E.antarctica and C.microdon(both b=2.53).Our descriptions of the mesopelagic-zone community structure and biological features of three common fishes provide basic information on the ecology of the Cosmonaut Sea,Southern Ocean,and will be useful for ecosystem-based fisheries management in this region.
