ON THE ECOLOGY OF 2 SYMPATRIC FLOUNDERS OF THE GENUS PARALICHTHYS IN THE BAY-OF-COQUIMBO, CHILE

The ecology of two flounders belonging to the genus Paralichthys was s tudied in the Bay of Coquimbo (29 degrees 57'S), Chile. P. adspersus g rows larger than P. microps. In both species, the females were signifi cantly larger than the males. The species differed in their reproducti ve cycles as revealed by their gonadosomatic indices, This difference was also reflected in larval abundance and spatial distribution of the species. No significant changes were found in the abundances of juven iles and adults in the Bay of Coquimbo either throughout the year or i nterannually. However, when the analysis included the proportion of sp ecimens between the two species and sex by season, the differences wer e apparent in most cases. The results show that the environmental char acteristics of the marine system which the Bay of Coquimbo is a part o f provide good feeding, spawning and nursery grounds for these two spe cies of flounder.