Nursery areas of solenette Buglossidium luteum (Risso, 1810) and scaldfish Arnoglossus laterna (Walbaum, 1792) in the southern North Sea

Abstract

The nursery areas of two species of flatfish, the solenette Buglossidium luteum and the scaldfish Arnoglossus laterna, in the southern North Sea, were investigated by analysing the patterns in abundance and distribution in surveys previously carried out in the open North Sea, in the Dutch coastal zone and in the estuarine Dutch Wadden Sea. Juveniles of both species were only found in the open North Sea in waters deeper than about 15 m. 0-group solenette was present over a depth range of 10 to 50 m, with highest numbers at about 25 m. 0-group scaldfish occurred from 15 m to 70 m with peak numbers at about 35 m. Both species lacked special nursery areas in the southern North Sea and the distribution patterns of juveniles and adults overlapped. Adults were rarely found in the coastal zone and in the deeper channels of the estuarine Wadden Sea. Densities of 0-group fish were rather low (less than 10 ind·1000 m⁻²). Mean length increased to an average of 4 cm for 0-group solenette and of 5 cm for 0-group scaldfish in autumn.