11-26 



mean rate of impingement reflects high seasonal (winter) impingement 

 rate probably due to unusually high local abundances of winter flounder 

 which are, because of age, behavior or physiological condition, suscep- 

 tible to impingement. 



According to Pearcy (1962) , spawning activity should begin in 

 New Haven Harbor in February and continue through April. However, ripe 

 adults were not observed in trawl samples. The eggs are demersal, 

 adhering to the substrate and are rarely encountered in ichthyoplankton 

 collections. The larvae also tend to congregate near bottom and may be 

 under represented in oblique plankton tows (Pearcy, 1962) . NAI ichthyo- 

 plankton collections indicate larval densities ranging between 0.02 and 



3 

 0.32 individuals per m for the months of April and May, when the larvae 



have been most abundant. These data tend to support the presumed Febru- 

 ary through April spawning schedule for New Haven Harbor. Winter flounder 

 larvae have been encountered from March through June at Millstone (NUSCO, 

 1977); Shoreham (LILCO, 1977), Glenwood (LILCO, 1977), Port Jefferson 



(LILCO, 1977), Northport (LILCO, 1977) at peak densities of 0.02-1.11 



3 

 individuals per m . Pearcy (1962) observed peak catches of winter 



flounder larvae during March and April ranging from 1.0 to 20.0 indi- 



3 

 viduals per m in the Mystic River Estuary. Wheatland (1956) observed 



concentrations of winter flounder larvae which ranged from 0.10 to 0.26 



3 

 individuals per m in Eastern Long Island Sound and from 0.03 to 0.11 



per m in the central Sound between late March and early June, 1952- 



1954. Similarly, Richards (1959) observed winter flounder larvae 



throughout Long Island Sound between late March and early May, 1954- 



3 



1955, m concentrations of less than 1.0 per m . Densities of winter 



flounder larvae in New Haven Harbor have been generally similar to or 

 less than concurrent densities in Long Island Sound. 



Vlindowpane (Soophthalmus aquosus) 



The windowpane flounder is a resident of shallow water areas 

 whose habitat preferences generally overlap those of the winter flounder. 



i 



