The distribution and abundance of bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) eggs and larvae in the English Channel and Southern North Sea

Abstract

As well as being a popular sport fish, the bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L. 1758) is a valuable commercial species in England and Wales. In 1984 bass landings in England and Wales were estimated to have a first sale value of between £5–6 million (G. D. Pickett, personal communication). Concern has been expressed about the vulnerability of the stock to overfishing and to variability in recruitment, and there have been a number of studies of bass biology, distribution of the eggs and larvae, and of possible migratory movements of the fish during the adult phase, (Kennedy & Fitzmaurice, 1968, 1972; Kelley, 1979; Holden & Williams, 1974; Dando & Demir, 1985). This paper reviews the published data on eggs and larvae and presents new data on their distribution and abundance in the English Channel and southern North Sea between 1981 and 1984.