Publication Abstract

The energetics of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, migration using selective tidal stream transport in the southern North Sea

J.D. Metcalfe, G.P. Arnold and P.W. Webb

Adult plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) in the southern North Sea use selective tidal stream transport to migrate between their summer feeding grounds and winter spawning grounds. The fish come up into midwater when the tidal stream is flowing in one direction, but remain on the bottom when it is flowing in the opposite direction. This behaviour can theoretically save energy, which can be used for growth or reproduction. Alternatively, it may provide a transport system by means of which fish that have no ability to navigate over long distances can be conveyed reliably between their feeding grounds and spawning grounds.

Reference:

J.D. Metcalfe, G.P. Arnold and P.W. Webb (1990) The energetics of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, migration using selective tidal stream transport in the southern North Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, 70: 149-162.