IMPACT OF HABITAT QUALITY AND QUANTITY ON THE RECRUITMENT OF JUVENILEFLATFISHES

The effects of the major factors contributing to habitat quality (food , predators, temperature, salinity, oxygen, habitat structure, water d epth and hydrodynamics) on the growth and survival of flatfishes durin g their juveniles stages are described. It is concluded that the first three of these factors are the most important. The impact of habitat quantity on recruitment is also examined and found to play a major rol e in determining overall population size. Neither habitat quality nor quantity act independently and growth, survival and subsequent recruit ment levels of juvenile flatfishes from their nursery grounds must be seen as a result of the interplay between both habitat quality and qua ntity. The general conclusion is that habitat-related processes on nur sery grounds probably serve to dampen rather than generate recruitment variability.