Patterns of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus early life history in the Mid-Atlantic Bight and New Jersey estuaries

Spawning peaked in fall but extended from September through January. Planktonic larvae (2-13mm) were most abundant in the Mid-Atlantic Bight September-May. At 11-14mm, some larvae entered New Jersey estuaries, but their occurrence, especially during winter and early spring, was sporadic. Young-of-the-year were more frequently collected after May. During the first summer inshore they grew rapidly and reached 160-320mm TL. Young-of-the-year emigrated from the estuaries in fall and were most abundant on the shallow portions of the adjacent continental shelf. Young-of-the-year in the northern Mid-Atlantic Bight reach a larger size than those from the southern portion. An hypothesis to explain the observed rarity of small juveniles in northern estuaries in some years is that some juveniles utilize the continental shelf as a nursery and enter estuaries at a larger size. -from Authors