Lack of sbttostratum effect on the growth and metamorphosis of larval plaice Pleuronectes platessa

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Abstract
Larval plaice Pleuronectes platessa hatched from artificially fertilised eggs were reared in tanks containing sand of 3 grain sizes (62 to 125 .mu.m, fine; 125 to 250 .mu.m, medium; 1 to 2 mm, coarse), and in the absence of sand. Although there were siginificant differences in growth, development and mortality between 3 replicate experiments, the difference were not related to substratum type. It is concluded that substratum type per se is unlikely to affect growth or the timing of metamorphosis. However, in the sea, substratum characteristics, because they control the distribution of suitable food organisms, may influence growth and metamorphosis indirectly.