Diet, abundance, and distribution as indices of turbot (Psetta maxima L.) release habitat suitability

Selection of a suitable release habitat is critical for stock enhancement. As part of the Danish turbot stock enhancement program, individually tagged, artificially reared juveniles were released into three different habitats. Data from the recaptures in the following year revealed a significant effect of release habitat on turbot growth. This raised the question whether such differences in growth could have been predicted before the release by comparing easily measurable characteristics of wild turbot caught in the different habitats. Three characteristics of wild turbot were examined: the diet, natural abundance, and depth distribution within the habitats. A marked difference was found among habitats in the timing of the diet change from the suboptimal exoskeleton carrying prey items such as crustaceans to fish. The habitat where the wild turbot had the lowest occurrence of fish in their diet was also the habitat with the highest natural abundance of age-0 individuals and the deepest distribution of wild turbot. This was the habitat where released turbot grew more slowly than in the other habitats, which indicate that the diet and depth distribution of wild turbot may provide good indicators for the success of turbot enhancement and restocking.