Estimates of the Theoretical Biomass of Juvenile Winter Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum) Required for a Fishery in Rhode Island

A model of the life history of the winter flounder was constructed using empirical estimates of vital statistics. The initial stock weight of juveniles was determined by substituting trial initial stock weight values into equations which contained average values of growth and mortality coefficients until the observed value of the equilibrium yield was approximated. Model data indicated that the stock weight of juvenile winter flounder at an age of 5 months constituted a significant proportion of the equilibrium yield even with conservative estimates of model coefficients. Growth appeared to be sufficiently rapid during early life-history stages to provide for a large increase in biomass in spite of considerable natural mortality.