Page 45 - 《水产学报》2026年第04期

4 期 水 产 学 报 50 卷

major spawning grounds increased from 64.10% during the initial exploitation phase to 80%-91% post-collapse, accompanied
by a general trend towards smaller egg size. ③ Small mouth size of first-feeding larvae: At 3.7 mm total length, larval mouth
size is only about 250 μm, significantly smaller than most marine fish species. ④ Short PNR window: Under 23.0-24.8°C, the
mixed feeding stage lasts only one day, with the Point of No Return (PNR) occurring at 6 days post-hatching. ⑤ Low swim-
ming capacity: Cruising speeds of northern anchovy (E. mordax) larvae are only 0.3-0.5 cm/s, much lower than those of clu-
peids. ⑥ Climate warming stress: Rising sea temperatures lead to smaller egg size, shorten the mixed feeding stage, and may
shift conditions away from the optimal growth temperature window of 21-22°C for larvae and juveniles. ⑦ Genetic constraints:
The population exhibits a pattern of high haplotype diversity but low nucleotide diversity with strong gene flow, suggesting
potential cryptic erosion of genetic diversity under high fishing pressure, which may undermine its evolutionary potential. E.
japonicus recruitment in the Yellow Sea is jointly constrained by insufficient spawning stock biomass, multiple vulnerabilities
in early life history, potential genetic structure limitations, and superimposed climate stressors, posing multiple bottlenecks to
resource sustainability. This study reveals the multidimensional constraints on the recruitment dynamics of small pelagic fish
and provides important theoretical insights for developing ecosystem-based fishery management strategies.
Key words: Engraulis japonicus; population recruitment; constraining mechanism; resource sustainability; Yellow Sea; cli-
mate change

Corresponding author: WAN Ruijing. E-mail: wanrj@ysfri.ac.cn
Funding projects: National Key R&D Program of China (2024YFD2400401); National Modern Agricultural Industry Techno-
logy system (CARS-47); Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, YSFRI, CAFS (20603022024023)

https://www.china-fishery.cn 中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries
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