The feeding ecology of <i>Pleuronectes platessa</i> L., <i>Limanda limanda</i> (L.) and <i>Scophthalmus rhombus</i> (L.) in Carmarthen Bay, South Wales, U.K.

Abstract

To assess the feeding habits of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., and dab, Limanda limanda (L.), within Carmarthen Bay, three sampling techniques were used: benthic trawling and surf‐zone push‐netting were undertaken during the feeding season for the gut contents of plaice and dab (age groups 0‐IV) and of 0‐group brill, Scophthalmus rhombus , to be analysed in detail, and a benthic macro‐fauna grab survey covered the trawled ground to assess the distribution of food species in relation to gut contents. Plaice consumed commonly‐occurring food species whereas dab took any available food. The main items were the same for both species, but secondary food preferences differed. Variations in gut contents within species, for the same sized fish, chiefly resulted from the spatial distribution of fish and not seasonal variations in the benthic macro‐fauna. The length and not the age of fish primarily determined the selection of food organisms.