Abstract
The relationship between whiting, Merlangius merlangus (L.), and the common shrimp, Crangon crangon L., in the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary was investigated. The whiting population was found to comprise 0‐group juveniles which only remain in the region for about 10 months before moving offshore. While within the estuary, the distribution and abundance of the two species were found to be clearly related. It is hypothesized that the whiting depends on the common shrimp because it is the only abundant prey species in the winter. Both the whiting and shrimp populations were found to not follow any long‐term trend in numbers. It is suggested that the whiting population is stable because it is constrained by shrimp abundance which is, in turn, limited by physical constraints. Similar predator‐prey relationships may be common to many European estuaries.
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