Predation of the juvenile stages of diadromous fish by sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in the tidal reaches of an English chalk stream.

Abstract

1. The first incidence of predation by the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) on lamprey ammocoetes and salmonid smolts is reported.
2. These preliminary findings suggest that there is a need for further investigation to determine if juvenile diadromous fish form a significant component of the diet of sea bass, and to identify whether the likelihood of enhanced abundance of sea bass in protected nursery areas presents a particular threat to the conservation of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).
3. This will require further sampling of the stomach contents of sea bass and estimates of the sea bass population in nursery areas to be determined, linked with an assessment of the impact of such predation on the conservation status of particular stocks of diadromous fish.