ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ON JUVENILE FLATFISH IN A TROPICAL COASTAL SYSTEM, PUERTO-RICO

Juvenile flatfish were sampled in Puerto Rico in a number of different habitat types: river mouths, beach systems, estuarine lagoons and mar ine lagoons. Out of 16 species occurring around Puerto Rico, seven wer e found, of the family Bothidae: the bay whiff Citharichthys spilopter us, the sand whiff C. arenaceus, the fringed flounder Etropus crossotu s and the channel flounder Syacium micrurum, of the family Solidae: th e lined sole Achirus lineatus and the scrawled sole Trinectes inscript us, and of the family Cynoglossidae: the blackcheek tonguefish Symphur us plagiusa. Species composition varied among areas and appeared to be related to habitat requirements, Depending on species, settlement was prolonged over a period from 1 to at least 6 months. Abundances of 0- group were low, in general less than 10 ind 100 m(-2). Preliminary gro wth estimates in Citharichthys spilopterus were within the range of th ose observed in subtropical waters at the same temperatures.