INTERACTIONS OF GROWTH AND MORTALITY IN BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE POPULATIONS - EMPIRICAL-EVIDENCE FOR A MORTALITY-GROWTH CONTINUUM

Data from unexploited populations confirm a continual relation between growth rate and mortality rate in benthic invertebrates. They indicat e a limited range of mortality attributable to a given growth rate, wh ich may reflect a ''mortality-growth continuum'' of predator-prey rela tions ranging from ''low mortality'' to ''high mortality'' strategies in prey populations. An index based on the empirical relation between growth and mortality can be used to determine the position of a popula tion in the ''mortality-growth continuum''. This index expresses relat ive predation pressure and may also be used to check for potential ove rfishing in exploited stocks of benthic invertebrates, when more sophi sticated measures are not available.