Effects of climate on temporal variation in the abundance and distribution of the demersal fish assemblage in the Tsushima Warm Current region of the Japan Sea

In the present study, we examined the effects of climate on temporal variation in the abundance and geographical distribution of demersal fishes at both interannual and decadal scales in the Tsushima Warm Current region of the Japan Sea using single-trawler fishery data (1972–2002). This single-trawler fishery targeted multiple species with different geographical affinities and life history traits. Thus, these data were suitable for examining the biological mechanisms that underlie how species respond to climate variability. Our results indicate that the distributional changes of species in response to decadal climate variability are best explained by asymptotic length, which indicates that warming has greater negative effects on larger fishes in the Japan Sea. However, none of the variables examined (including geographical affinity, asymptotic length and age at maturation) could explain the shift in abundance at interannual or decadal scales. It should be noted that life history traits and geographical affinities only provide partial explanations of the responses of species to environmental variability, thereby suggesting that other factors, such as interactions among species, may be involved in mediating species responses.