Larimichthys crocea
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larimichthys_crocea
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
The large yellow croaker has experienced catastrophic population collapse due to intensive commercial fishing, with catches declining by over 95% since the 1970s. Overfishing using destructive methods like bottom trawling has severely depleted spawning populations, while coastal development and pollution have degraded critical nursery habitats in estuarine areas. Climate change is altering water temperatures and currents in the East China Sea, disrupting the species' spawning cycles and larval distribution patterns.
Habitat
Large yellow croakers inhabit coastal and offshore waters of the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, preferring depths of 60-200 meters over sandy and muddy bottoms. They migrate to shallow estuarine waters and river mouths for spawning, requiring specific temperature and salinity conditions for successful reproduction.
