• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2001

Spawning behavior of the Takifugu pardarlis (Temminck et Schlegel) was observed on the Jook-do coast in Tongyong from March 1997 to June 1999. The spawning ground was locted in the intertidal zone between Tongyong and Koje-do. Its bottom was mainly gravels and stones, and its depth was 0.5~1.0 m. Spawning season was from the end of the March to the middle of May. During the spawning season, the mature fishes formed school a of 10~30 individuals, then moved to the spawning ground together. When a mature female spawned eggs, the attendant males fertilized them at the same time. The fertilized eggs obtained from the parent fishes caught at the spawning ground were adhesive, opaque and spherical, measuring 1.14~1.24 mm (mean 1.19 mm, n = 50) in diameter with numerous tiny oil globules. Hatching period was about 205 hours after fertilization at water temperature of $18.0{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$. The newly hatched larvae were 2.92~3.10 mm (mean 3.01 mm, n = 20) in total length (TL), had a large yolk, and 11~13+14~15 = 25~28 myomeres. At 5 days, the larvae had attained 3.79~3.85 mm (mean 3.82 mm, n = 20) in TL and had transformed into the postlarval stage. At 15 days, the postlarvae had attained 7.78~7.90 mm (mean 7.84 mm, n = 20) in TL. At 21 days, had larvae attained 10.15~10.27 mm (mean 10.21 mm, n = 20) in TL and had reached the juvenile stage. All fins were formed with a complete set of fin rays having the following counts: dorsal fin rays 11~12; anal fin rays 9; pectoral fin rays 14~15; caudal fin rays 11~12.