Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Differential Use of Nursery Areas Within the Tagus Estuary by Sympatric Soles, Solea solea and Solea senegalensis

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The spatio-temporal pattern of estuarine use by both Solea solea and Solea senegalensis was investigated between April 1995 and November 1996 by beam trawl surveys. Spatial and seasonal distribution and abundance were different for each species. The highest densities of S. solea were recorded in deeper, warmer, low salinity areas and where the sediment consisted of a high proportion of fine sand and presented a high abundance of amphipods. The 0-group individuals of this species first occurred on the nursery ground in April. Numbers peaked in June and July, and from October to April abundance was low. S. senegalensis had a wider distribution and its abundance was related to food availability. The 0-group individuals of this species occurred in the nursery areas later than S. solea, from June to August.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References cited

  • Able, K.W., K.W. Matheson, W.W. Morse, M.P. Fahay & G. Shepherd. 1990. Patterns of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus early life history in the mid-Atlantic Bight and New Jersey estuaries. U.S. Fish. Bull. 88: 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrade, J.P. 1992. Age, growth and population structure of Solea senegalensis Kaup, 1858 (Pisces, Soleidae) in the Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal). Scient. Mar. 56: 35–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coggan, R.A. & P.R. Dando. 1988. Movements of juvenile Dover sole, Solea solea (L.), in the Tamar Estuary, South-western England. J. Fish Biol. 33(A): 177–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, M.J. 1986. Les poissons de l'estuaire du Tage. Cybium 10: 57–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, M.J. & A. Bruxelas. 1989. The structure of fish communities in the Tagus estuary, Portugal, and its role as a nursery for commercial fish species. Scient. Mar. 53: 561–566.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deniel, C. 1981. Les poissons plats (Teleosteens, Pleuronectiformes) en Baie de Douarnenez — Reproduction, croissance et migration des Bothidae, Scophthalmidae, Pleuronectidae et Soleidae. Ph.D. Thesis, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest. 476 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorel, D., C. Koutsikopoulos, Y. Desaunay & J. Marchand. 1991. Seasonal distribution of young sole (Solea solea (L.)) in the nursery ground of the Bay of Vilaine (Northern Bay of Biscay). Neth. J. Sea Res. 27: 297–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, R.N. 1994. The impact of habitat quality and quantity on recruitment of juvenile flatfishes. Neth. J. Sea Res. 32: 191–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, P.A. 1989. On the structure of the inshore fish community of England and Wales. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 69: 145–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, P.A. & R.M.H. Seaby. 1994. On factors influencing juvenile flatfish abundance in the lower Severn estuary, England. Neth J. Sea Res. 32: 321–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jager, Z., H.L. Kleef & P. Tydeman. 1993. The distribution of 0-group flatfish in relation to abiotic factors on the tidal flats in the brackish Dolard (Ems Estuary, Wadden Sea). J. Fish Biol. 43(A): 31–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koutsikopoulos, C. & N. Lacroix. 1992. Distribution and abundance of sole (Solea solea L.) eggs and larvae in the Bay of Biscay between 1986 and 1989. Neth. J. Sea Res. 32: 321–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koutsikopoulos, C., Y. Desaunay, D. Dorel & J. Marchand. 1989. The role of coastal areas in the life history of sole (Solea solea L.) in the Bay of Biscay. Scient. Mar. 53: 567–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. 1988. Seasonal distribution, growth and ecological role of the juvenile sole, Solea solea L., population in the Loire estuary, France. J. Fish Biol. 33(A): 229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. 1991. The influence of environmental conditions on settlement, distribution and growth of 0-group sole (Solea solea (L.)) in a macrotidal estuary (Vilaine, France). Neth. J. Sea Res. 27: 307–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. 1993. The influence of seasonal salinity and turbidity maximum variations on the nursery function of the Loire estuary (France). Neth. J. Aquat. Ecol. 27: 427–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. & G. Masson. 1988. Inshore migration, distribution, behaviour and feeding activity of sole, Solea solea (L.), postlarvae in the Vilaine estuary, France. J. Fish Biol. 33(A): 227–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. & G. Masson. 1989. Process of estuarine colonization by 0-group sole (Solea solea): hydrological conditions, behaviour, and feeding activity in the Vilaine estuary. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 191: 287–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLusky, D.S. 1989. The estuarine ecosystem, 2nd ed. Chapman & Hall, London. 215 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rijnsdorp, A.D., M. van Stralen & H.W. van der Veer. 1985. Selective tidal transport of North Sea plaice larvae Pleuronectes platessa in coastal nursery area. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 114: 461–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rijnsdorp, A.D., F.A. Van Beek, S. Flatman, R.N. Millner, J.D. Riley, M. Giret & R. de Clerck. 1992. Recruitment of sole stocks, Solea solea (L.), in the northeast Atlantic. Neth. J. Sea Res. 29: 173–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riley, J.D., D.J. Symonds & L. Woolner. 1981. On the factors influencing the distribution of 0-group demersal fish in coastal waters. Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 178: 223–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S.I. 1992. Environmental factors affecting the distribution of sole (Solea solea (L.)) within a nursery area. Neth. J. Sea Res. 29: 153–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S.I. 1994. Population density and growth rate of juvenile sole Solea solea (L.). Neth. J. Sea Res. 32: 353–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, T.P. 1997. Modern regression methods. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 515 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sogard, S.M. & K. Able. 1992. Growth variation of newly-settled winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) in the New Jersey estuaries as determined by otolith microstructure. Neth. J. Sea Res. 29: 163–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Veer, H.W., L. Pihl & M.J.N. Bergman. 1990. Recruitment mechanisms in North Sea plaice Pleuronectes platessa. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 64: 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venables, W.N. & B.D. Ripley. 1994. Modern applied statistics with S-Plus. Springer, New York. 462 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar, J. 1996. Biostatistical analysis, 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, Engelwood Cliffs. 662 pp.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, Rua Ernesto Vasconcelos, 1700, Lisboa, Portugal (e-mail

    Henrique Cabral & Maria José Costa

Authors
  1. Henrique Cabral
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria José Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cabral, H., Costa, M.J. Differential Use of Nursery Areas Within the Tagus Estuary by Sympatric Soles, Solea solea and Solea senegalensis . Environmental Biology of Fishes 56, 389–397 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007571523120

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007571523120

Search

Navigation