The food of larval turbot Scophthalmus maximus L. from the west central North Sea

Abstract

An examination was made of the gut contents of the larvae of turbot 3·5–16·9 mm in length, from off the northeast coast of England. All the larvae contained a wide variety of planktonic crustaceans the most important of which were the cladocerans Podon leuckarti and Evadne nordmanni and copepodites of five species of calanoid copepods. Oikopleura dioica was also taken. Phytoplankton was found in the stomachs of some of the smaller larvae. It was estimated that the larvae ate 28·0% of their body weight each day.