Growth of larval Pacific anchovy Engraulis japonicus in the Yellow Sea as indicated by otolith microstructure analysis

Larval Pacific anchovy Engraulis japonicus were sampled from coastal waters off the central west coast of Korea from June to November 1996. Using otolith microstructure analysis (daily growth increments), three cohorts (spring, early summer and late summer) were distinguished based on backcalculated spawning dates. Growth rates differed between cohorts, with higher growth rates for late‐summer cohorts than either the spring or early‐summer cohorts. Growth rate was positively related to surface water temperature, with an optimum temperature range of between 20 and 26° C occurring during the late summer (late July through to mid‐September). The study highlights that early growth rates of Pacific anchovy are dependent on ecosystem (particularly water temperature) attributes during early life.