• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2015

Egg development and early life history of the endangered species, Microphysogobio rapidus was investigated to get a basic information for biological characteristics and recovery strategy. Eggs were obtained from females by injecting Ovaprim (0.5 mL/kg) and artificially fertilized by dry method in the laboratory. The mature eggs were slightly adhesive and separated with light bluish green and $0.63{\pm}0.02mm$ (n=20) in diameter. Number of eggs in the ovaries were $3,827{\pm}1,225$ (2,850 ~ 5,916). The hatching occurred at 72 hours after fertilization under water temperature of $21{\pm}1^{\circ}C$. The newly-hatched larvae were $2.79{\pm}0.04mm$ (n=10) in total length. At 5 days after hatching, they were average $4.10{\pm}0.07mm$ (n=10) in TL and their yolk sacs were completely absorbed. 30 days after hatching, they became to juvenile stage and reached $9.74{\pm}0.24mm$ (n=10) in TL. At 100 days after hatching, the band patterns and external form were similar to those of adults, average $27.00{\pm}1.94mm$ (n=10) in TL.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2008

An eco-washland is increasingly getting attentions as a new alternative plan for management of water resources because of role as flooding control and ecological park without social and ecological side effects. However, there is a lack of study regarding technological development and ecological guidelines to create eco-washland. This study was carried out to suggest ecological guidelines necessary for engineering process to create eco-washland. A study site was the lower reach of Seokjang stream connecting to Yimjin river, a candidate of new eco-washland, and Kumsa area in Namhan river was selected as a reference site. The analysis of ecological characteristics focused on vegetation, fishes, and birds. Major vegetation communities, composed of dominant species such as Salix koreensis, Salix gracylistyla, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Phragmites communis, etc., formed physical conditions along with other land uses including open water, sandbar, cultivated land, etc. Dominant species of fishes were some species belonging to Cyprinidae and Acheilognathinae, and in case of birds Anser albifrons, Anas platyrhychos, Anas poecilorhyncha belonging to waterbirds and Paradoxornis webbinanus dependent to forest edge were dominantly distributed. The results showed that complex wetland types associated with partially deep water and upland was the optimal eco-hydrological condition of washland. Cyprinidae and Acheilognathinae in case of fish and Egretta spp. (spring season) and Anas spp. (winter season) in case of bird were selected as target species for the these wetland types. Finally, a detail planning criteria to create habitats of these target species were discussed in terms of spawning, breeding, feeding, resting, refuge, nesting, etc.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2006

In this study we conducted artificial hybridization between two sibling species, Rhodeus uyekii and R. notatus, and observed the morphological characteristics in early developmental stage. The two species showed difference in egg shape having rhombus and club respectively. The morphology of yolk of larva just hatched also showed well specific characteristics, that is the bean chaff type for R. uyekii (U type) and anchor type for R. notatus (N type). The rate of fertilization between female R. uyekii and male R. notatus (UN type) and between female R. notatus and male R. uyekii (NU type) were complete and its hatching rate were very high, 71.6% for UN type and 97.5% for NU type. The differences occurred in the yolk shape of hatched larvae for each combination of hybrids. In the group of UN, U type of larvae were found very rarely, but almost all the larvae showed intermediate shape polarized to NN type. Similar phenomenon was observed in the NU having intermediate polarized to UU, but without any NN type. These hybrids will be analyzed for their external morphology, sex ratio, the function of sexual organ and karyology after they grown up to adult.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2008

The Korean bitterling, Acheilognathus signifer (Osteichthyes Cyprinidae), is an endemic and endangered species in Korea. During developmental stages, a small number of oculocutaneous albinism (with colorless body and eyeballs) were observed in the species. In order to investigate histological differences between normal and albinic bitterling, the dorsal skin and choroid-retina of the eyes were taken. The skin and eyes of normal and albino bitterling were similar in structure except for the presence or density of pigment cells. In normal bitterling, the epidermal melanocytes and dermal melanophores were abundantly developed in both the skin and epidermis of the eyes. But in the albino, the dorsal skin had few melanins, and the pigment cells over the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris of the eye were very small.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.3 s.95
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• pp.239-250
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• 2001

Fish fauna of 13 sites in a main channel and its tributaries of the Taehwa River and 9 Sites of other headwater streams in the Ulsan area (Mt. Gaji) were investigated from February 1999 to October 2000. All sites were the 1st to 5th order streams in the Ulsan area, and 10 sites (45.5%) were intermittent streams. A total of 2,695 flsh specimens were collected and classified into 14 families and 44 species. Cyprinidae accounted for 40.9% (18 species) of the total fish species collected and 68.4% (1,845 ind.) of the total abundance. Subdominant families were Cobitidae (6 species; 78 ind.), Gobiidae (5 species; 240 ind.), and Gasterosteidae (2 species: 128 ind.). Zacco temmincki (RA 23.0%, 14 sites) was the dominant species; subdominant species were Moroco oxycephalus (20.2%, 11 sites), Zacco platypus (8.0%, 10 sites), Mugil cephalus (5.2%, 3 sites). Among the total species, 8 species were endemic species to Korea. The dominant Korean endemic species was Squalidus chankaensis tsuchigae (53.6% of Korean endemic species) and subdominant species were Iksookimia longicorpa (20.5%), and S. japonicus coreanus (6.6%) . Due to the intermittent nature of streams in the Ulsan area, a conservation program of nsh fauna is strongly needed.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.128-138
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• 1998

Comparative studies on the morphological characters of the circumorbital bone were made in order to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of the family Cyprinidae. In this paper, forty four species from Korea and three species of Gobiobotia and Saurogobio dabryi from China were studied. Pungtungia herzi, Pseudopungtungia nigra and Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpus were similar in morphological structure on points of the first infraorbital elongated. In Hemibarbus, the base portion of the opened sensor canal was transformed into a lateral plate in the infraorbital. Microphysogobio was characteristic in that the infraorbital series were large, and had close relationship with Pseudogobio esocinus and Saurogobio dabryi. Gobiobotia were reduced to a bony canal with dermal bone. Culter brevicauda had a short supraorbital. Cyprininae were characterized by larger fourth and fifth infraorbitals. Leuciscinae were divided into two groups: Moroco and Zacco. The former includes Phoxinus phoxinus, Moroco oxycephalus and Moroco kumgangensis, and the latter includes Zacco platypus, Zacco temmincki and Opsariichthys bidens. Moroco group was distinguished from Zacco group in points of having a short supraorbital and a elongated the first infraorbital.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2010

This study was conducted at 25 sites of 6 mainstreams and 19 tributaries sites within Heuck Stream watershed during May~October 2003 for the survey of fish distributions, compositions, and community characteristics. The survey showed that total fish was identified as 9 family and 26 species in all sites, and Cyprinidae dominated the community as 15 species. The dominant species of >20% of the total were Zacco temminckii (29%), Zacco platypus (22%), and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (21%) in the watershed. Community analysis, based on the stream spatial gradients, indicated composition differences along the main axis of the stream from the headwater to the downstream; R. oxycephalus predominated in the most headwater zone and Z. temminckii dominated in the lower headwater zone, whereas Z. temminckii -Z. platypus dominated in the mid-to-downstream, and Z. platypus dominated the community in the most downstream zone. Total endemic species was 7 family and 15 species, which is made of 50% in the fish community, so that the high proportion of endemic species indicated a healthy region in terms of fish community, compared to average 23% in Korean peninsula in general. The total number and species of fish increased as the stream order (stream size) increased, indicating that impacts on chemical pollution or habitat disturbance were not so large to the fish community in this watershed. Trophic and tolerance guilds analysis showed that relative proportions of sensitive and insectivore species were >50% in the watershed and decreased as the stream order increased, whereas relative proportions of tolerant and omnivore species showed an opposite results. These outcomes suggest that the natural condition of watershed is preserved relatively and the region should be protected from the chemical and habitat disturbace by agricultural activity and urban developments.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.271-278
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• 2010

Field monitoring was conducted for fish fauna and community assessment at 7 sites from April 2008 to October 2009 in the Chogang Stream. The number of fish samples in this period were 4,669 in 36 species of 9 families. Family Cyprinidae take 66.7 (24 species), Cobitidae, Bagridae, Centropomidae and Odontobutidae occupied 5.6%(each 2 species), respectively. Twenty species (55.6%) including Acheilognathus koreensis and A. yamatsutae were found endemic out of the 36 species. The species of Pseudopungtungia nigra, Gobiobotia macrocephala and Gobiobotia brevibarba were endangered species. The most frequently found one was Zacco koreanus (34.0%, n=1,588) followed by Z. platypus (22.6%, n=1,053) and Coreoleuciscus splendidus (13.3%, n=623). The lower reach of Chogang Stream was more abundance of species, high diversity, evenness and richness, and lower dominance index than those of the upper reach. According to the dendrogram established at 0.5 level of similarity rate, sampling stations were divided into 3 groups. They were divided into upper most stream (St. 1~St. 2), upper stream (St. 3), middle and lower stream (St. 4~St. 7). Overall, it was concluded that the Chogang Stream has been relatively well protected from the anthropogenic disturbance for the legally protected species including the endemic species studied in this study.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.101-110
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• 2000

Population ecology of Rhynchocypris keumgangensis have been investigated at upper part of the Han River in Korea from January to December, 1995. The habitat was low water temperature and clean area, and stream form was Aa. The major cohabitation fish was Phoxinus phoxinus. The total lengths in this population indicated that below 40 mm group is one year old, 40~65 mm group is two years old, 65~80 mm group is three year and the 80 mm longer group is regarded over four years old. There were no differences in total length distribution between the female and the male. The males became sexually mature, when longer than 45 mm and females longer than 65 mm in total length. Spawning season was from April to mid May with the water temperature in $11{\sim}14^{\circ}C$ and the properous period was April. The mean number of eggs in ovary was 1,616. The sex ratio all the year round of the female to the male was 1 : 0.75. The current velocity of the spawning ground was 44 (20~80) cm/sec and water depth was 35 (5~70) cm. Eggs were laied in 5~15 cm deep underneath the immaculate pebbles (2~6 cm). Sex ratio of the female to the male was 1 : 6.90 for spawning behavior.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.135-140
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• 2013

Microphysogobio koreensis, an endemic Korean freshwater fishes belonging to Cyprinidae, is protected as a 2nd grade of endangered fishes by the ministry of the Environment. For this species, the study on the spawning microhabitat including structure of streambed and spawning grounds was carried out. The streambed that this species mainly lives consists of boulders, cobbles, and pebbles, the so-called Bb type, with a depth of 0.3 to 1.0 m and a rapid velocity of $0.5{\pm}0.2$ m/sec. But the main spawning grounds where the spawning is actually occurring, is relatively shallower, $0.4{\pm}0.1$ (0.4~0.6) m depth, and faster, $0.8{\pm}0.1$ (0.6~0.9) m/sec velocity, whereas the region that the fertilized eggs are attached are rather slowest to 0.4m/sec. The spawning starts at a water temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ in earlier May, laying their eggs on the cobbles' or boulders' surface or in between them. In particular, with a wide range of streambed structures, natural spawning grounds' environments may let the fertilized eggs not be swept from rapid current and secure efficient dissolved oxygen. The individuals, however, do not appear at the grounds any more after the spawning season, and it is expected that they may move into deeper water such as Lakes or lower streams.