Population Genetic Structure of Rock Bream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oplegnathus fasciatus</Emphasis> Temminck &amp; Schlegel, 1884) Revealed by mtDNA COI Sequence in Korea and China

The rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, is a common rocky reef game fish in East Asia and recently has become an aquaculture species. Despite its commercial importance, the population genetic structure of this fish species remains poorly understood. In this study, 163 specimens were collected from 6 localities along the coastal waters of Korea and China and their genetic variation was analyzed with mtDNA COI sequences. A total of 34 polymorphic sites were detected which determined 30 haplotypes. The genetic pattern reveals a low level of nucleotide diversity (0.04 ± 0.003) but a high level of haplotype diversity (0.83 ± 0.02). The 30 haplotypes are divided into two major genealogical clades: one that consists of only Zhoushan (ZS, East China Sea) specific haplotypes from the southern East China Sea and the other that consists of the remaining haplotypes from the northern East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Korea Strait, and East Sea/Sea of Japan. The two clades are separated by approximately 330~435 kyBP. Analyses of AMOVA and F_st show a significant population differentiation between the ZS sample and the other ones, corroborating separation of the two genealogical clades. Larval dispersal and the fresh Yangtze River plume are invoked as the main determining factors for this population genetic structure of O. fasciatus. Neutrality tests and mismatch distribution analyses indicate late Pleistocene population expansion along the coastal waters of Korea and China approximately 133–183 kyBP during which there were periodic cycles of glaciations and deglaciations. Such population information needs to be taken into account when stock enhancement and conservation measures are implemented for this fisheries species.     

The First Record of Long Headed Eagle Ray,Aetobatus flagellum (Pisces: Myliobatidae) from Korea

A specimen ofAetobatus flagellum was collected at Uljin in June 2005 for the first time in Korea. This specimen is characterized by the cephalic fin, the long snout, the dorsal fin between pelvic fins, spiracles on the dorsal side of the disc, the deeply notched nasal curtain and the one row of the teeth in the lower and the upper jaws. And unlikeAetobatus narinari, it does not have any spots on the its dorsal side of the disc. We report this specimen as the first record from Korea and name it ‘Bak-jui-ga-o-ri’ in Korean.     

Stock identification and life history interpretation using trace element signatures in salmon otoliths

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in the North Pacific Ocean are anadromous fish, and spend most of their life in the sea until spawning in natal streams. To identify the stock and habitat characteristics of chum salmon, the composition of chemical elements (Ca, Mn, Sr, Zn, and Ba) in otolith was examined using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Two main types of analytical work have been carried out; discrete spot analysis and line scan analysis of otolith sections. Salmon otoliths were obtained from the eastern (Canada and USA) and western (Japan and Korea) North Pacific during 1997–1999 spawning seasons. Spot analysis of otolith cores demonstrated significant differences in the element concentration among countries (p = 0.003). Line scanning from the core to the margin showed that Sr concentrations were elevated at the core of the otoliths, decreased during the freshwater stage, increased suddenly at a certain point, and oscillated periodically towards the margin matching with year-ring. The elevated Sr concentration at the core may reflect the maternal contribution to the egg, and the oscillations toward the margin may reflect salinity gradients between onshore/offshore or north/south migrations. The Zn profiles also oscillated and corresponded to the annual ring of the otolith. However, the profiles of Sr and Zn oscillated oppositely after salmon migrated to saline water and the Zn uptake declined toward the rim of the otolith while Sr uptake increased.     

Chelonodontops bengalensis (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae): A New Species of Puffer Fish from the Northern Bay of Bengal Based on Morphology and DNA Barcode

Ocean Science Journal - The new puffer fish species Chelonodontops bengalensis (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) is described from two specimens collected on the southwest coast of the Bay of Bengal,...