• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.541-550
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to understand the distribution characteristics of largemouth bass as an exotic species in relation to water chemistry. The survey was conducted in 10 reservoirs in Korea that showed different properties in size, location and eutrophic state. Total number of fish species observed in the artificial reservoirs was 52 (13 family) and the relative abundance of the bass was 13% of the total, which is the third dominant species in the whole sample. The relative abundance of bass was the highest in the Pyungtak reservoir (60%), whereas the Daechung reservoir showed the lowest abundance (only 3%). Although no significance difference statistically were founded in the relationship between bass abundance and water quality parameters. The reservoir trophic state showed some relationships. As result, the higher abundance was observed in hypertrophic reservoirs that located in the esturine regions compared to other large and medium reservoirs classified as meso- or eutrphic state. In conclusion, bass distribution in the reservoir ecosystem can not be directly explained by water chemistry only but other environmental factors should be considered.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.266-279
• /
• 2019

We investigated the characteristics of fish communities and habitat status of endangered species Rhodeus pseudosericeus in Heuk Stream, a tributary of the Han River, from April to October 2018. During this period, we collected 47 species of 14 families from 10 survey stations using kick nets, cast nets, and long bag set nets. The dominant and subdominant species were Zacco platypus (37.6%) and Z. koreanus (13.8%), respectively. The next most abundant species were Squalidus gracilis majimae (11.1%), Pungtungia herzi (7.7%), Rhodeus pseudosericeus (5.0%), Microphysogobio yaluensis (4.3%), and Hemibarbus longirostris (3.0%). Among the fish collected, 19 species (40.4%) were Korean endemic species. Endangered species were R. pseudosericeus and Acheilognathus signifer while exotic species were Micropterus salmoides and Oncorhynchus mykiss, and land-locked species were Plecoglossus altivelis and Rhinogobius brunneus. The community analysis showed that the dominance and evenness indexes were mostly low and that the diversity and richness indexes were high. Moreover, the river health (index of biological integrity) was mostly excllent (1 site is good, 9 sites are very good). R. pseudosericeus inhabited widely from St. 3 to St. 9 in Heuk Stream, and its population size was large. Age groups for R. pseudosericeus estimated by the frequency distribution of total length in spawning season (April) indicated the 32~45 mm group as 1-year old, the 46~59 mm group as 2-years old, 60~69 mm group as 3-years old, and the 70~89 mm group as 4-years or older. Total length range of male and female was similar, and the sex ratio of female (426) to male (394) was 1 : 0.95. A. signifer, which had been released in Heuk Stream, inhabited from St. 4 to St. 5, but its population size was small. Lastly, this paper discusses a conservation plan for fish in Heuk Stream.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.50-69
• /
• 2014

Freshwater fish fauna and community structure were investigated at thirty seven stations in the Yeong river, Nakdong river system, Korea from March to October 2013. During the surveyed period thirty nine species and two types belonging to thirteen families were collected. In this collection fishes of Cyprinidae were most numerous possessing 61.0% of all. There were seventeen Korean endemic species including Acheilognathus koreensis, two endangered species such as Koreocobitis naktongensis and Microphysogobio koreensis and two exotic species such as Oncorhynchus mykiss and Micropterus salmoides. Fish species transferred from other native rivers were three species such as Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, Pseudobagrus koreanus and Hypomesus nipponensis. Dominant species based on the number of individuals was Zacco koreanus NS (23.24%) and sub-dominant species were Z. koreanus NE (12.72%) and Z. platypus R (12.35%). The community analysis revealed that the structure of fish community in the Yeong river was very stable and diverse in having diversity 1.134, evenness 0.703, dominance 0.110 and species richness 4.348. Fish community was divided into four groups based on similarity indices among surveyed stations such as upper reach, mid-upper reach, middle reach and lower reach group.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.116-132
• /
• 2015

Freshwater fish fauna and community structure were investigated at 44 stations in upper reach of the Nakdong river, Korea from March to October 2014. During the surveyed period 42 species and 4 types belonging to 34 genera and 14 families were collected. In this collection fishes of Cyprinidae were 17 species and 4 types, most numerous possessing 43.2% of all. There were 17 Korean endemic species including Kichulchoia multifasciata, 3 endangered species such as Koreocobitis naktongensis, Lethenteron reissneri and Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis and 2 exotic species such as Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides. Fish species transferred from other native rivers were 9 species including Hemibarbus mylodon, Coreoleuciscus slpendidus Han river type, Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, Iksookimia koreensis and Liobagrus andersoni. Dominant species based on the number of individuals was Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (21.44%) and sub-dominant species were Zacco koreanus NE type (18.55%). The community analysis revealed that the structure of fish community in upper reach of the Nakdong river was very stable and diverse in having diversity 1.101, evenness 0.670, dominance 0.400 and species richness 4.454. Fish community was divided into 5 groups based on similarity indices among surveyed stations such as uppermost, upper I, upper II, mid-upper, middle reach group.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.205-217
• /
• 2017

Fauna of freshwater fish and community structure were investigated at 24 stations in the Hoecheon Stream and some adjacent tributaries of the Nakdonggang River, Korea from July 2016 to August 2017. During the period 42 species and 4 types belonging to 32 genera and 11 families were collected. In this collection fishes of Cyprinidae were 24 species and 4 types, most numerous possessing 59.1% of all. There were 16 Korean endemic species including Acheilognathus yamatsutae and Odontobutis platycephala, 3 endangered species such as Pseudobagrus brevicorpus and Koreocobitis naktongensis (rank I) and Culter brevicauda (rank II) and 2 exotic species such as Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus. Fish species transferred from other native rivers were 4 species including Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, Hemiculter eigenmanni, Odontobutis interrupta and Tridentiger brevispinis. Dominant species was Zacco koreanus NS type (19.2%) and sub-dominant species was Z. platypus R type (16.1%). The structure of fish community in the Hoecheon Stream was very stable and diverse in having diversity 2.91, evenness 0.77, dominance 0.35 and species richness 4.67. Fish community was divided into 4 groups such as upper, middle, midlower and lower reach group based on similarity among surveyed stations.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.198-205
• /
• 2015

Impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems range from changes in physiological processes of aquatic organisms to species distribution. In this study, MaxEnt that has high prediction power without nonoccurrence data was used to simulate fish distribution changes in the Geum river watershed according to climate change. The fish distribution in 2050 and 2100 was predicted with RCP 8.5 climate change scenario using fish occurrence data (a total of 47 species, including 17 endemic species) from 2007 to 2009 at 134 survey points and 9 environmental variables (monthly lowest, highest and average air temperature, monthly precipitation, monthly lowest, highest and average water temperature, altitude and slope). The fitness of MaxEnt modeling was successful with the area under the relative operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.798, and environmental variables that showed a high level of prediction were as follows: altitude, monthly average precipitation and monthly lowest water temperature. As climate change proceeds until 2100, the probability of occurrence for Odontobutis interrupta and Acheilognathus yamatsuatea (endemic species) decreases whereas the probability of occurrence for Microphysogobio yaluensis and Lepomis macrochirus (exotic species) increases. In particular, five fish species (Gnathopogon strigatus, Misgurnus mizolepis, Erythroculter erythropterus, A. yamatsuatea and A. koreensis) were expected to become extinct in the Geum river watershed in 2100. In addition, the species rich area was expected to move to the northern part of the Geum river watershed. These findings suggest that water temperature increase caused by climate change may disturb the aquatic ecosystem of Geum river watershed significantly.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.478-485
• /
• 2013

Fish field survey, especially fish distribution and their ecological characteristics, was performed in the downstream region of Gyeongan stream during the period of before (June) and after (October) the summer monsoon in 2010. Depending on the characteristics of each site, fyke net or casting net was used for fish sampling. Feeding classification was determined by the analysis of stomach contents. Total number of family and species sampled were 5 and 17, respectively. The dominant family was Cyprinidae (12 species), and relative abundance (RA) of the most dominant species, Lepomis macrochirus and Zacco platypus, was 38% and 24%, respectively. Exotic species and Korean endemic species observed were 3 (423 individuals, RA 44%) and 4 (98 individuals, RA 10%), respectively. Tolerance guild analysis as characteristics of ecological indicators revealed an undoubtedly high percentage (97%), compared to others as reflected by the identification of just one sensitive species. Analysis of trophic guilds showed that L. macrochirus dominated among insectivores (44% RA). The food of L. macrochirus composed of, aquatic insects, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, Chironomidae, and waterweed. Thus, we determined that L. macrochirus could be classified as insectivores (partially carnivores) in this study. Conversely, Z. platypus consumed Cladocera exclusively, greater than 90% of their feed. We presume that stable isotope analysis would identify the exact position of these species in the food web.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.27-43
• /
• 2017

The objectives of the study were to evaluate fish compositions, endangered species, community structure, physical habitat, and general water quality for a preliminary environmental impact assessment of Jeokbyeok River on the road construction between two regions. Total number of species and total number of individuals, based on CPUE, were 23 and 1186, respectively. The endangered species (I, II) as the legal protection species were Pseudopungtungia nigra (79 samples) Gobiobotia brevibarba) (5) Gobiobotia macrocephala (2), indicating a requiring of endangered species conservation. In the meantime, exotic species and ecological disturbing species such as Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, were not present, indicating a well conserved area. According to fish community analysis, values of species diversity index were high (range: 0.788 - 1.030), and the dominance index were low (range: 0.097 - 0.183), indicating that the fish community in this area was maintained well without high dominacne by specific species. Also, fish analysis on tolerance guilds and trophic guilds showed that the proportions of sensitive species were largely exceeded the proportions of the tolerant species, while the proportions of insectivore species were largely exceeded the proportions of the omnivore species. This outcome suggests that the ecosystem was well maintained in terms of tolerance and trophic compositions (food chain). Ecological health, based on the multi-metric fish model of Fish Assessment Integrity (FAI), reflected those fish conditions. In other words, values of FAI model averaged 82.4, which means a "good condition" in the criteria of ecological health by the Minstry of Environment, Korea. In addition, general water quality and physical habitat analyses showed that the system was in good condition. Under these conditions, if the road constructions between the two regions happen in the future, inorganic suspended solids may increase in the waterbody, and this may result in indirect or direct influences on the physical habitats and food chain as well as fish compositions, so the ecological protections and prevention strategy from the soil erosion are required in the system.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.143-148
• /
• 2007

The introduced exotic species has often caused severe problems to the native ecosystem. One of such species is the freshwater fish gengorobuna (Carassius cuvieri) introduced from Japan. The first step to assess harmful effects of this species on the Korean freshwater ecosystem is to discriminate it from the most similar native crucian carp (Carassius auratus). Because traditional morphological identification often gives unreliable results due to their highly similar phenotype, a new more efficient method is needed. For this purpose, molecular markers produced by the efficient one-step PCR method using three primers (DDF, DDR and DDR1) were developed and tested in the present study. This molecular marker will play an important role in monitoring fish community of Korean freshwater ecosystem.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.18 no.9
• /
• pp.1001-1010
• /
• 2009

To investigate the ichthyofauna and habitat type of the fish in Tamjin River system, Korea, fishes were collected with cast net ($5{\times}5\;mm$, $8{\times}8\;mm$) and dip net ($4{\times}4\;mm$) at eight stations seasonally during five years from 2000 to 2004. 56 species belonging to 18 families were collected and 15 Korean endemic species( 26.8%) were investigated. While Coreoperca kawamebari was occurred at every station, the number of individuals and composition were decreased. Anguilla marmorata was not collected and the exotic species didn't appeared. Dominant species were Zacco platypus(34.2%), Squalidus gracilis majimae (9.4%), Microphysogobio yaluensis(8.1%), Zacco temmincki(6.8%) and Acheilognathus lanceolatus(5.1%). The surveyed stations were clustered into 3 groups: up stream, main stream and estuary. With the cluster analysis using the relative abundance of major fishes at each habitat, fishes were separated into 5 habitat types: U (upstream type), UM (up and main stream type), M (main stream), ME (main stream and estuarine type), and E (estuarine type).