The feeding habits of the winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) were examined in a habitat subjected to chronic anthropogenic disturbance by organic and inorganic nutrient disposal and shipping activity. The macrobenthic community was numerically dominated by the types of polychaetes and amphipods found in a disturbed community. Little variability was found in the diets of 151 winter flounder (100-300 mm total length) in 4 size-classes. Combining all size-classes, winter flounder were found to feed on 18 different genera of macrobenthos. Amphipods and polychaetes dominated the diet. These groups provided from 12-25% of the diet by weight, 16-48% by number, and had index of relative importance values between 552 and 2 510. Major prey items were the amphipod, Ampelisca abdita and the polychaete, Streblospio benedicti. These diets were compared to those winter flounder captured in habitats where benthic assemblages were not exposed to human perturbation. Regardless of habitat, winter flounder fed on primarily the most abundant and active benthic species. This study supports the contention that winter flounder are in general, opportunistic feeders and usually feed on the most abundant and available prey source.
The relative abundance and size distributions of juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, were compared in two areas; an anthropogenically altered marina basin and a natural intertidal flat habitat. Winter flounder were sampled from March through November 1990-95 with a 1.0 m beam trawl. No significant difference was observed in catch-per-unit-effort between areas but significant differences were found between seasons. Relative abundance (number of flounder/ m 2) increased from spring (0.007 marina and 0.011 intertidal flats) to summer (0.059 marina and 0.051 intertidal flats) and then declined slightly in the autumn (0.047 marina and 0.027 intertidal flats). Relative abundance was similar between areas from 1990-95 but differed between years. Length frequency distributions of winter flounder were similar between areas for all seasons but mean sizes were statistically different in summer. These results suggest that juvenile winter flounder are equally abundant in both natural intertidal habitats and marina basins, indicating that both could serve as nursery areas. However, more specific research is required to resolve the relative importance of marinas and the factors involved in utilization of each habitat.
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