GROWTH-POTENTIAL OF JUVENILE SOUTHERN FLOUNDER, PARALICHTHYS-LETHOSTIGMA, IN LOW-SALINITY NURSERY AREAS OF PAMLICO-SOUND, NORTH-CAROLINA, USA

Field growth experiments were conducted in cages during June - August 1993, to compare growth rates of juvenile southern flounder, Paralicht hys lethostigma (standard length (SL) 37 to 70 mm), in historically ut ilized (two creeks) and underutilized (two creeks) low salinity nurser y areas within the Pamlico River Estuary of Pamlico Sound, North Carol ina. Growth rates from five sequential trials were used to estimate th e nursery areas' productive capacities for juveniles of this species. Instantaneous daily growth rates, measured as a function of changes in weight, showed that southern flounder placed in underutilized creeks exhibited significantly higher mean instantaneous daily growth rates ( 3.94 . 10(-2) +/- 0.47) than southern flounder placed in utilized cree ks (1.66 . 10(-2) +/- 0.49). Thus, other factors such as colonization rate must be limiting production in nursery areas. Temperature was pos itively correlated with growth rate and accounted for about 20% of the variability in growth rates. The approach used in this study provides an alternative method of assessing critical nursery habitats for juve nile flatfish in estuarine environments. Assessment of nursery value i n terms of potential productive capacity rather than realized producti on should prevent underassessment of value due to low levels of coloni zation in some years.