Seasonal Variations in Species Composition and Abundance of Fish and Decapods in an Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Bed of Jindong Bay

Abstract

The objectives of this study to determine seasonal changes in species composition and abundance of fish and decapod assemblage, and the relationships between environmental factors and their abundance in an eelgrass bed of Jindong Bay. A total of 26 fish species and 29 decapod species were collected by a small beam trawl from an eelgrass bed in Jindong Bay in 2002. The dominant fish species were Hexagrammos otakii, Pholis neulosa and P. fangi and these accounted for 48.4 % in the total number of individuals. Dominant decapod taxa were Palaemon macrodactylus, Charybdis japonica, Pagurus minutus and C. bimaculata. These were primarily small species or early juveniles of larger species. Species composition and abundance varied greatly showing a peak in the number of individuals in April and May, and peak biomass in fish in July and decapods in August. Catch rate was low in winter months both in fish and in decapod. Seasonal changes in the abundance of fishes and decapods corresponded with eelgrass biomass and abundance of food organisms indirectly.