Review and prospect of biological study on common marine pelagic commercial fishes in China

A great variety of common marine pelagic commercial fishes inhabit in China's seawaters,and most of them belong to r- selection of life history pattern or r- selection of life history pattern evolving from K- selection of life history pattern. The resources of common marine pelagic commercial fishes recover faster and possess vast potential for future utilization. The proportion of common marine pelagic commercial fishes show upward trend in marine fishing production in China. Development of common marine pelagic fisheries in China is reviewed in this paper,particularly with regard to biological research progress in the six main species,Ilisha elongata,Pampus cinereus,Trachurus japonicus,Sardinella aurita,Clupea harengus pallasi and Setipinna taty. The population identification and classification,migration and distribution,wintering ground,spawning ground and period,age and growth,feeding habits,fecundity and dynamic stock structure of the six species as well as their biomass and total allowable catches are outlined. Meanwhile,future study on their resource biology is also discussed and prospected.