The fish populations in inshore waters of the west coast of Scotland. The food and feeding of the whiting (Merlangius merlangus L,.)

The food and feeding of the whiting (Merlangius merlangus) of the inshore waters and sea lochs of the west of Scotland were studied from 1969–1973. Fish and Crustacea were the main food items and their occurrence in the stomachs was clearly related to the size of the whiting and also to their seasonal abundance. The diurnal changes in feeding were also investigated and the results indicated that the size of fish was again an important factor which could affect the interpretation of the seasonal data.