COULD THE MEIOBENTHIC ENVIRONMENT OFFSHOR E BE FAVORABLE FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF YOUNG SOLE

We tested the hypothesis that the absence of newly settled Dover soles (Solea solea) outside the estuarine nurseries of this species is due to a lack of suitable benthic prey. The availability of potential prey was studied at five stations within the distribution area of metamorp hosing Dover sole on the northern continental shelf of the Bay of Bisc ay. Station locations ranged from the offshore spawning grounds to the coastal zone. Suitable feeding conditions for metamorphosing flatfish were found at all five stations. Harpacticoid copepods, the preferred prey of newly settled juvenile sole, are abundant and diversified on the spawning grounds where a majority of Dover sole larvae begin their metamorphosis. Furthermore, harpacticoid copepods were preyed upon by newly settled thickback sole Microchirus variegatus, a closely relate d species. We conclude that the apparent lack of survival of Dover sol e larvae metamorphosing offshore is not due to a low availability of s uitable benthic prey.