56 
Fishery Bulletin 106(1 ) 
Summer flounder TL (mm) 
Figure 7 
Relationship of prey size (whole prey items only) consumed by summer flounder ( Paralichthys dentatus) in the 
mainstem of Chesapeake Bay from 2002 through 2006 versus summer flounder size (TL, mm). All regressions 
were significant (P< 0.05). 
et al., 2002; Staudinger, 2006). Hence, fishes repre- 
sent an important component of summer flounder diet 
throughout its range implying that this species should 
be included in analyses designed to quantify pathways 
of production to piscivorous fishes. 
Quantitative analyses of foodweb dynamics provide 
valuable insights into the structure of ecosystems and 
ultimately support the development of EBFM plans. 
However, these analyses require several data types, in- 
cluding information on the ontogenetic and temporal (in- 
tra- and interannual) changes in the trophic interactions 
of species within an ecosystem. This study provides fun- 
damental trophic data for an important fish species in 
Chesapeake Bay and, taken with previous studies, con- 
tributes significantly to our understanding of the role 
of summer flounder as a predator throughout its range. 
Acknowledgments 
The authors acknowledge E. A. Brasseur, P. D. Lynch, 
D. J. Parthree, and M. L. F. Chattin for their efforts 
