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Feeding ecology, growth and sexual cycle of the sand sole, Solea lascaris, along the Portuguese coast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2009

Célia M. Teixeira*
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Ana Pinheiro
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Henrique N. Cabral
Affiliation:
Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Célia M. Teixeira, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Centro de Oceanografia, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal email: cmteixeira@fc.ul.pt

Abstract

Sand sole, Solea lascaris, were collected along the Portuguese coast, between October 2002 and July 2003, to examine feeding habits, age and growth and sexual cycle. The most important prey items were Mysidacea, Amphipoda and Polychaeta. Differences in diet according to season and length size were found: Amphipoda were very important in diet during winter, while Echinodermata were consumed mostly in summer; smaller individuals feed on Amphipoda while larger feed on Decapoda. Age of S. lascaris was determined from sagittae otoliths. The length of fish analysed ranged from 61 mm to 340 mm. The von Bertalanffy growth equation parameters differed significantly between sexes (L = 342.3 mm, k = 0.50, t0 = −0.87 and L = 264.5 mm, k = 0.82, t0 = 0.13, females and males, respectively). The highest values of the gonadosomatic index were obtained in winter and spring, when the highest proportion of individuals at spawning stage was recorded.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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