DISTRIBUTIONAL RESPONSES TO SMALL-SCALE HABITAT VARIABILITY BY EARLY JUVENILE SILVER HAKE, MERLUCCIUS-BILINEARIS

Early juvenile (0-year) silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis, occurred a t higher densities on bottoms with greater amphipod tube cover at a 55 m deep site in the Middle Atlantic Eight. The size range of individua ls at this site was 1.5-5 cm total length. Additional observations at other sites showed that 0-year silver hake only occurred on silt-sand bottom with amphipod tubes at bottom water temperatures of 8.7-11.4 de grees C. This distribution pattern could be the result of either selec tive settlement into appropriate habitats or differential predation wi th higher survivorship in more complex habitats. We posit that 0-year silver hake occur in patches of dense amphipod tube cover to avoid vis ual predators and co-occur with preferred prey (i.e., amphipods and sh rimps).