Feeding habits of the common sole, Solea vulgaris (Quensel, 1806), from Mediterranean Sea, Port Said, Egypt

A total of 550 specimens of Solea vulgaris were collected from monthly catches by trawling net operating on the Port Said Coast on the Mediterranean Sea from January to December 2006. The annual diet composition, monthly variations in the diet composition and the variations of diet with length and the intensity of feeding were studied. Solea vulgaris feed on a wide variety of prey types, polychaetes, copepods, algae, seagrasses, mollusks and amphipods with frequent quantities of sediments. Polychaetes, copepods were the major food items all year round. Polychaetes and copepods were found in all length groups of Solea vulgaris. They decreased as the size of fish increased, whereas seagrasses and algae increased as the size increased. The diet composition of Solea vulgaris is indicative of a general feeding strategy. The feeding activities were quite high during spring and autumn seasons