Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (North Atlantic) White Flounder

• Main Author: Buckley, Jack
• Other Authors: MASSACHUSETTS UNIV AMHERST DEPT OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Biology; Biological Oceanography; *FISHES; METAMORPHOSIS; COMMERCE; ENVIRONMENTS; WATER; INSHORE AREAS; POPULATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; SHALLOW WATER; PROFILES; WINTER; DOCUMENTS; HISTORY; LIFE CYCLES; SALINITY; LIFE(BIOLOGY); FISHERIES; EGGS; INVERTEBRATES; AQUATIC ORGANISMS; FEEDING; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; LARVAE; ADULTS; TAXONOMY; SUMMER; ECOLOGY; HABITS; LANDING; NEW ENGLAND; REPRODUCTION(PHYSIOLOGY); YOUTH; ESTUARIES; SPRING SEASON; MOLLUSCA; REQUIREMENTS; COASTAL REGIONS; *WHITE FLOUNDER; *PSEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA206184; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA206184

Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, life history, and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and aquatic invertebrates. They are designed to assist with environmental impact assessments. From 1935 to 1980, the annual commercial landings of winter flounder in New England ranged from 6,000 to 15,000; the sport catch exceeded the commercial catch in some years. Winter flounder are found in waters with temperatures of 0 to 25 deg C and they usually spawn at 0 to 3 deg C. Reported fecundities are 0.5 to 1.5 million eggs per female. Metamorphosis from larva to juvenile is complete in 49-80 days, depending on temperature. Juveniles remain in or near shallow natal waters for much of their first 2 years. Adults of some populations move more than 3 miles offshore to cooler waters in summer. These adults live in shallow inshore waters in winter and early spring. Adult winter flounder feed largely on annelids, cnidariids, and mollusks. Keywords: Estuaries; Fisheries; Feeding habits; Fishes; Life cycles; Temperature; Salinity; Contaminants; Winter flounder; Pseudopleuronectes americanus; Environmental requirements; Ecological role.