Trophic interactions between preadult and adult Pomatoschistus minutus and Pomatoschistus microps and young Platichthys flesus occurring in inshore waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Southern Baltic)

We intended to estimate if shallow inshore waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk can be considered important feeding grounds for the fishes under investigation. We also examined whether competition for food exists between the investigated fishes which co-exist. The study was carried out at Sopot and Cha upy stations from summer 2001 to autumn 2003. The results showed the high importance of Neomysis integer, which exclusively lives in coastal waters, in the diet of all three investigated fish species. It indicates that they utilize this zone as a feeding ground. The obtained dataset also led to the conclusion that fish trophic niches overlap by about 40%.