Predation by striped searobin ( Prionotus evolans, Triglidae) on young-of-the-year winter flounder ( Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Walbaum): examining prey size selection and prey choice using field observations and laboratory experiments

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 1999-10, Vol.242 (2), p.211-231
• Main Authors: Manderson, J.P., Phelan, B.A., Bejda, A.J., Stehlik, L.L., Stoner, A.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Flatfish predator; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Predator–prey; Prey choice; Prionotus evolans; Pseudopleuronectes americanus; Size selection; Trigilid; Vertebrata
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(99)00105-7

Laboratory experiments and field observations in shallow water habitats in the Navesink River/Sandy Hook Bay estuarine system (NSHES), New Jersey, USA, were used to examine the predator–prey relationship between the striped searobin ( Prionotus evolans: Linnaeus) and young-of-the-year (YOY) winter flounder ( Pseudopleuronectes americanus: Walbaum). Striped sea robins (121–367 mm total length [TL]) were present in Sandy Hook Bay but absent from the Navesink River in biweekly gillnet surveys conducted from May through October, 1998. However, juvenile winter flounder were present throughout the estuary during periodic beam trawl surveys. Although mysids and sand shrimp ( Crangon septemspinosa, Say: 10–49 mm TL) were the numerically predominant prey of searobins, winter flounder (15–57 mm TL) accounted for an average of 17% (±3) of prey by weight and were found in the diets of 69% of predators collected in June. In the laboratory, searobins (212–319 mm TL) presented with a range of winter flounder sizes (30–114 mm TL) selected prey