Abstract
The feeding behaviour of six species of flatfish was examined. Four species of bothids showed very different hunting tactics when feeding on mysids. Seventy per cent of attacks by turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus) occurred in the water column, compared with only 6% for brill ( Scophthalmus rhombus), whilst the topknots Zeugopterus punctatus and Phrynorhombus regius always remained in contact with the substratum. The turbot were agile and rapidly pursued their prey, brill slowly stalked their prey and the topknots employed a ‘sit and wait’ strategy. When feeding on shrimps, turbot made 90% of their attacks from the substratum. Plaice ( Pleuronectes platessa) feeding on live worms, exhibited less complex behaviour sequences than the bothids. All hunting occurred on the substratum and consisted of short sequences of a ‘browsing’ type of predation. When offered more mobile prey ( Corophium sp.) plaice did not display the agility nor the complex hunting tactics shown by the bothid species. The simplest feeding behaviour was shown by the sole ( Solea solea) when feeding on worms and this simplicity is probably related to its olfactory/tactile method of prey location.
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