Atlantic, the Nephtyidae (32.7%) were the most important. The 

 prey species, however, was different. In Southern New England, 

 Ne/7/iO'-y'>ictso(16.1%) was the only species of this family found in 

 the stomachs, with most of the rest being identified to the generic 

 level, Nephtys (16.3%). The Lumbrinereidae were second in 

 importance (4.7Vo), with three species having been identi- 

 fied— Mnoe nigripes (3.3%), Lumbrineris fragilis (0.7%), and L. 

 tenuis (0.2%). None of these species were preyed on in the Middle 

 Atlantic, and only L. tenuis (1.1%) was eaten on Georges Bank. 

 The Maldanidae (1.9%) were of some importance as prey of 

 Southern New England Gulf Stream flounder and five genera and 

 three species were distinguished in the stomach contents: Lum- 

 briclymene cylindricaudata (0.2%), Praxillella (0.2%), Nicomache 

 luinbiiculis ( < 0. 1 %), Peiatoproctus tenuis (<0.\ %), and Maldane 

 sarsi (<0.1%). Other annelid species of some significance in the 

 diet of Gulf Stream flounder from Southern New England were 

 Aphrodita hastata (4.8%), Potamilla (1.5%), Stemaspis scutata 

 (0.2%), and Chone infundibuliformis (0. 1 %). Annelids were also a 

 major prey taxon for Georges Bank Gulf Stream fiounder, and 

 here the Maldanidae and Nephytidae were important components 

 of the diets. The Nephytidae (2.7%), Nephtys (2.3%), were not as 

 important as in the other areas, while the Maldanidae, exlusively 

 Nicomache lumbricalis (8.6%), were more important. Two other 

 sfjecies, from other families, also contributed to the diet: the 

 capitellid, Notomastus latericius (2.6%), and the ampharetid, 

 Ampharete acutifrons (2.2%). Among the "Other Annelida," the 

 most important group were the obligochaetes, which accounted for 

 5.0% of the diet. 



Summer flounder.— All the summer flounder collected for 

 stomach analysis were taken from the Middle Atlantic. Table 1 

 summarizes the available data on the food of this species in that 

 geographic area. 



Fourspot flounder. — Fourspot flounder were collected in for of 

 the five geographic areas, but too few fish were taken from the Gulf 

 of Maine to make vaJid comparisons between this area and the 

 three other regions. The following discussion is therefore limited to 

 comparisons between the Middle Atlantic, Southern New England, 

 and Georges Bank. 



Arthropods, Pisces, and Molluscs are the three major taxa which 

 are preyed on by fourspot flounder (Table 3). Arthropods are 

 generally the major prey although in Southern New England fish 

 are slightly more important. Usually the same groups of arthropods 

 are preyed on in the different areas although the proportions that 

 the individual groups contribute to the diet differ. In the Middle 

 Atlantic, for example, the Pandahdae are an extremely important 

 prey with Dichelopandalus leptocerus accoimting for 29.0% of the 

 diet. In Southern New England the Pandalidae are also preyed 

 upon but only accounted for 7.9% of the diet, and only 3.9% of 

 this was attributable to D. leptocerus. On Georges Bank the 

 Hsandalid shrimp were again extremely important prey (26.3%). 

 Although a significant part of the remeiins were only identified at 

 the family level (15.4%), the majority of this group identified at the 

 species level was D. leptocerus (9.7%). Other arthropods such as 

 the Crangonidae and Cancridae were also preyed on in the different 

 areas but to differing degrees. In the Middle Atlantic, Crangon 

 septemspinosa accounted for 5.3% of the diet, in Southern New 

 England, 2.7%, and on Georges Bank, 13.1%. In the Middle 

 Atlantic the Cancridae were preyed on heavily with C. irroratus 

 accounting for 11.1% of the diet. In Southern New England the 

 Cancer aabs, both C. irroratus (4.2%) and C. borealis (1.1%), 



Table 3. — Geographic breakdown of the slomai'h contents of fourspot flounder, 

 l*aroIh'hfys nhton^tts, in the northwest Atlantic. Data are expressed as a 

 percentage weight for fish collected during the spring and autumn 

 bottom trawl sur^e> cruises, 1969-72. ( + indicates present but <0.1''b.) 



were preyed on, but on Georges Bank no representatives of this 

 family were identified in the stomach contents. Finally, two other 

 crustacean species were important prey but only in one of the three 

 geographic areas; Munida iris accounted for 3.2% of the fourspot 

 flounder's diet in the Middle Atlantic and Meganyctiphanes 

 norvegica accounted for 5.9% of the diet in Southern New 

 England. 



Pisces were preyed on in all three geographic areas and in at least 

 two areas. Southern New England and Georges Bank, silver hake, 

 Merluccius biiinearis, was the primary fish prey (28. 1 and 20. 1 % of 

 the diet, respectively). Silver hake was also preyed on in the Middle 



