Spawning migration of the anglerfish Lophius litulon in the East China and Yellow Seas

The purpose of this study is to provide the biological information for the national management of anglerfish stocks in the East China and Yellow Seas. Gonadal histology demonstrated that the spawning season is spring, ranging from February to May, and a female is thought to spawn more than once. In post-spawning season of summer, adult of both sexes congregated in the Yellow Sea. Some males were also found in the deeper East China Sea. In winter, males were collected mainly in the East China Seas, while females were collected only in the Yellow Sea. During the spawning season, mature fishes of both sexes were caught in the waters of the shallower East China Sea and the inshore waters of Kyushu. This study demonstrated that L. litulon in the East China and Yellow Seas perform spawning migration.