Náttúrufræðingurinn

Volume

Náttúrufræðingurinn - 2001, Page 11

Náttúrufræðingurinn - 2001, Page 11
■ SUMMARY F/rstrecord offlounder, Platichthys FLESUS (LlNNAEUS, 1758)ATICELAND In late summer and autumn of 1999 a number of flatfish was caught in brackish and fresh water in the river Ölfusá and its tributaries near the southwest coast of Iceland. One specimen of this flatfish was sent to the Marine Research Institute in Reykjavík and identified there as flounder (Fig. 1). Although it is common in coastal waters of Western Europe (Fig. 2), there are no previous records of this species from Iceland. In addition to the single specimen from 1999 the authors have investigated a total of 5 specimens caught in 2000 and 6 specimens caught in 2001. Six of these specimens were caught in brackish or fresh water, 5 in the river Ölfusá area and one near Hornafjörður, southeast Iceland (Fig. 3). Six specimens have been caught in marine water, one at 27 m depth in Lónsvík, southeast Iceland, and 5 at 11 m depth in Herdísarvík, about 15 nautical miles west off the outlet of river Ölfusá. Furthermore, the authors have news of a flatfish caught in a lake, Miðhúsavatn, on Snæfellsnes in 1999, the specimen was not preserved but was pre- sumably a flounder. The 12 flounder investigated were 17-40 cm long (total length) and weighed 72-848 g ungutted (Table 1). The eight specimens aged were found to be 2-6 years old, 5 of them belonging to the 1997 year class. AIl three males and all but the smallest female were found to be sexually mature and specimens caught in late March and early April 2001 were close to spawning. The number of fin-rays in dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins was within previously published ranges for flounder, except for one specimen with 47 rays in anal fin (published range is 36—46). The number of vertebrae was also within previously published ranges. Food remains in stomach and intestines of flounder caught in brackish and fresh water were found to be amphipods (Gammarus zaddachi) and gastropods (Lymnaea peregra). In speci- mens caught in marine water only sand eels (Ammodytes marinus) were found. In view of known distribution of flounder, the authors consider it most probable that the specimens caught at Iceland have emigrated from the waters of the Faroe Islands. PÓST- OG NETFANG HÖFUNDA / Authors 'addresses Gunnar Jónsson Hafrannsóknastofnuninni Skúlagötu 4 IS-101 Reykjavík gunnarj@hafro.is Jónbjörn Pálsson Hafrannsóknastofnuninni Skúlagötu 4 IS-101 Reykjavík jonbjom@hafro.is Magnús Jóhannsson V eiðimálastofnun Austurvegi 3-5 IS-800 Selfoss magnus.johannsson@veidimal.is Fft/rmál/ Sumarið 2001 veiddu starfsmenn Suðurlandsdeildar Veiðimálastofnunar á Selfossi fjórar flundrur í Ölfusárósi. Þessar flundrur veiddust frá 18. júní til 26. júlí, tvœr í net og tvær í gildru. Ein slapp úr veiðarfæri en hinar þrjár voru merktar með slöngumerkjum (ÍS 72132, ÍS 72162 og ÍS 72210). Verður fróðlegt að sjá hvort þœr endurveiðast og þá hvar. -Höf. 89

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