Behaviour habitats of sailfin sandfish, Arctoscopus japonicus approaching toward the eastern coastal waters of Korea in the spawning season

Behaviour habitats of sailfin sandfish, Arctoscopus japonicus, one of the stock recovery species of Korea, were investigated when they were approaching toward the eastern coastal waters of Korea during spawning season. Underwater surveys were conducted in December, 2009 at Jug-island, Goseong, Gangwon-province to observe the behaviour of sailfin sandfish by underwater video camera and underwater camera, and the body characteristics of sailfin sandfish caught by gillnet were measured. It was observed that the species generally move in school but a few of individuals go out of the school to approach and dig into the sand bottom. Eggs of sailfin sandfish were shown in many cases to be attached to seaweed like Sargassum fulvellum and Zostera mairna. The females maintain its body in horizon and shake the body to breed eggs. It was also observed that the males spray sperm on the eggs attached on seaweed. Sailfin sandfish is assumed to make diurnal migration by moving to the shallow coast at night for spawning and fertilization, and moving out to the offshore at sunrise.