IMPACT OF HABITAT QUALITY AND QUANTITY ON THE RECRUITMENT OF JUVENILE FLATFISHES

The effects of the major factors contributing to habitat quality (food, predators, temperature, salinity, oxygen, habitat structure, water depth and hydrodynamics) on the growth and survival of flatfishes during their juveniles stages are described. It is concluded that the first three of these factors are the most important. The impact of habitat quantity on recruitment is also examined and found to play a major role in determining overall population size. Neither habitat quality nor quantity act independently and growth, survival and subsequent recruitment levels of juvenile flatfishes from their nursery grounds must be seen as a result of the interplay between both habitat quality and quantity. The general conclusion is that habitat-related processes on nursery grounds probably serve to dampen rather than generate recruitment variability.