J. Modin et L. Pihl, SMALL-SCALE DISTRIBUTION OF JUVENILE PLAICE AND FLOUNDER IN RELATION TO PREDATORY SHRIMP IN A SHALLOW SWEDISH BAY, Journal of Fish Biology, 49(6), 1996, pp. 1070-1085
Metamorphosed plaice and flounder were sampled in a small non-tidal nu
rsery bay with a non-selective drop trap from April to August in 1991
and 1992. Post-settlement patterns were mapped in time and space and r
elated to wind stress and the distribution of a potential predator Cra
ngon crangon L. Both plaice and flounder had a patchy distribution at
a sample scale of 1 m(2). Plaice settlement coincided with timing of o
nshore winds in 1991 and 1992, while flounder settlement seemed to be
unrelated. Plaice settled earlier than flounder and during the early p
hase of 1-group C. crangon immigration. The first appearance of flound
er occurred simultaneously with the peak biomass of predatory C. crang
on. Plaice occurred in the deeper part of the bay together with C. cra
ngon, while flounder preferred shallow shore waters. We propose that d
ifferent temporal (plaice) and spatial (flounder) strategies have evol
ved in order to minimize the risk of shrimp predation after settlement
. (C) 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles