DIFFERENCES IN INDIVIDUAL GROWTH OF NEWLY SETTLED O-GROUP PLAICE (PLEURONECTES-PLATESSA L) IN THE INTERTIDAL OF NEIGHBORING WADDEN-SEA AREAS

Growth of temporarily isolated subpopulations of tidally migrating 0-g roup plaice was registered during summer 1991 in two adjacent Wadden S ea areas separated by a high tidal watershed. One area had tidal sand flats with extremely poor food conditions for juvenile flatfish, as fr equently occurring in the Wadden Sea. In contrast, the other area had mixed sediments which provide rich benthos conditions for the fish. By otolith microstructure analysis we demonstrated that individual fish grew faster in this rich area than in the other. Differences in growth between the two sites could be attributed to differences in food qual ity and quantity, Along the transect rich in benthos, individual growt h equalled maximum growth calculated from a currently used, but not ye t published, growth model for the early bottom-dwelling stages, which was thereby validated in the field.