Studies on ecological characteristics variation and population dynamics of four lizardfishes in the southern Taiwan Straits

The ecological characteristics of four lizardfishes, Trachinocephalus myops, Saurida undosquamis, Saurida tumbil and Saurida elongata, were studied from specimens （910 T. myops, 454 S. un-dosquamis, 686 S. tumbil and 744 S. elongata） collected monthly in the southern Taiwan Straits from April 2005 to March 2006. The population dynamics of the four lizardfishes was also discussed by the comparison with the previous studies. All being composed of 7 a classes; the dominant group of T. myops and S. tumbil was 1–2 a, while S. undosquamis and S. elongate were 2–3 a. The total mortality coefficient Z and the fishing mortality F were at high as indicated by the exploitation ratio E（0.5）, and a large number of by-caught juvenile and young fishes showing that the stock of lizardfishes in this area was overexploited and the fishing gear was irrational. Compared with the previous studies, the maximum and mean fork length, body mass and age of the four lizard- fishes declined gradually, the lizardfishes populations were younger in age and smaller in size. The asymptotic fork length L ∞ decreased while increasing growth coefficient k, and age at the inflexion point of mass t r was younger compared with the previous studies. The declining of older ones has moderated the feeding competition and the younger ones grew faster. The larger mortality param-eters Z, M and F have revealed higher fishing pressure. The smaller change of the first mature fork length of female T . myops and the change from K selection pattern to r selection pattern of S. tumbil have indicated a more vulnerable fishery ecosystem in this area. The changes of ecological characteristics and population dynamics may be caused by over-exploitation of demersal fishes such as the lizardfishes, especially a large number of juvenile and young fishes by-catch by the current fishing gears and methods. Therefore, in addition to the traditional fishery management approach such as the minimum length-limit, ecosystem approach to fisheries management （EAF） should be taken to improve the practical marine ecosystem management, including increased fishing intensity of the non-economic species especially the feeding competitors of the lizardfishes and the conservation of the pelagic fishery population in the fisheries ecosystem, in order to restore the fishery population and achieve the sustainable use of the fishery stocks.

Sectional distribution of salinity and its indication of Kuroshio'sintrusion in the southern Taiwan Strait and northeastern South China Sea late summer, 1994

Using the CTD data investigated at about 330 stations in the southern Taiwan Strait, the northeastern South China Sea and their adjacent seas in August and September of 1994, this paper anayses the sectional distributions of salinity in 10 selected sections and discusses the possibility of the Kuroshio's intrusion into the northeastern South China Sea and the southern Taiwan Strait. The results show that: as the main stream of Kuroshio passes by the northern Luzon Strait during the survey period, the 'Kuroshio-influenced water' with some hydrological features of the Kuroshio may extend through the Luzon Strait to the sea areas near both the Dongsha Islands and the Taiwan Shoal of the southern Taiwan Strait.

A fuzzy distinguishability on species composition similarities of pelagic fishes in different years in the southern Taiwan Strait

A fuzzy mathematical method is used to discriminate the similarities of pelagic fishes land- ed in the 9180 hauls by 10 light-seine information vessels in the southern Fujian waters from 1989 to 1998. The results indicate that the dominant species of the communities had an obvious alternation and the fuzzy adjacency of annual species composition varied between 0. 659 and 0. 923 with an average value of 0. 791. The fuzzy clustering analysis indicates that the annual fuzzy adjacency in general remains good although the species composition of the pelagic fishes has changed to a certain degree since 1992. This paper concludes that the community structure of pelagic fishes in the southern Taiwan Strait remains rel- atively stable and the state of fish stocks shows a good potentiality for a larger utilization.

Abundance pattern of heterotrophic nanoflagellates in the southern Taiwan Strait

The analysis of 103 samples collected quantitatively from the southern Taiwan Strait (22°4'-24°3'N, 117°'-119°9'E), China, in August 1997 indicates that the abundance of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) ranges from 391 to 1 846 × 103 cell/dm3, with an average of 949 × 103 cell/dm3, and 96.2% of cells are in size of 2-22 um in all HNF met in the samples. The HNF cells are 9.83-45.79 μg/dm3 after conversion from cell number to carbon content, with an average of 22.82 μg/dm3. The HNF abundance is relatively low in comparison with other areas. The nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients of the water are lower than previous investigations, which may be caused by the El Nino. The biomass of HNF is higher in southern waters, where cell concentration is 3-5 folds higher than that in other waters, and nearly 2-fold as high as the average of the investigated areas. The HNF is mainly habitat in 0-30 m water layer. Both horizontal and vertical HNF distribution must be influenced by hy-drographical dynamic process to a great extent. Continuous in situ observations of HNF indicate the 24 h diurnal rhythm, with two peaks, one in night at one station (Station 9701) and one during the period of 12:00 - 24:00 at another (Station 9704). The factors controlling the diurnal variation of HNF are unclear, although vertical migration of HNF is obviously.