The Bottom Fauna and the Food of Flatfish off the Cumberland Coast

Abstract

The bottom fauna is descr. and quantitative measurements with a grab gave a reliable estimate of the potential food animals for Pleuronectes platessa, Limanda limanda, and Solea vulgaris. Gut contents of Pleuronectes were analyzed as to numbers of each food spp. The apparent selection factor was calc. by dividing percent of number of animals in food by percent of animals eaten in the fauna. On fine sand, both Pleuronectes and Limanda fed chiefly on the lamellibranchs Cultellus and Ensis. On muddy sand Cultellus was still the chief food of Pleuronectes. but the abundant ophiuroid Amphiura, was eaten where Cultellus was scarce, while Limanda ate more Amphiura than Cultellus even where the latter was abundant. Pleuronectes probably selects spp. from among the available fauna, and evidence is presented that this species feeds visually only by day.