Nursery habitat colonization by juvenile sole (Solea solea L.) in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean – a latitudinal perspective

Abstract

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The aim of the present work was to analyse the latitudinal trend in nursery habitat colonization processes along its geographical distribution area of the common sole, Solea solea: Venice lagoon (Italy), Mondego estuary (Portugal), Vilaine estuary (France) and Balgzand (Netherlands). Otolith microstructure was used to estimate age, the duration of the pelagic and metamorphosis stages, and the spawning period. A latitudinal cline was found for the main processes of the life cycle. Spawning started in December in the southernmost areas and in February in the Balgzand population. The hatch followed this latitudinal tendency, but it started earlier in the Venice lagoon, where the water temperature was higher. There was differences in the pelagic stage duration, except between the Mondego estuary and the Venice lagoon, in the case of the metamorphosis stage duration, also were found differences, except between the Vilaine estuary and the Venice lagoon. Finally, populations further north had higher growth rates, which indicate a counter-gradient growth compensation. This work highlighted the control exerted by temperature along the latitudinal gradient on species’ life cycle and early life dynamics.

Keywords

• temperature
• estuary
• otoliths
• Solea solea
• Latitudinal pattern