The development of the olfactory system, taste and sensory buds of the Dover sole (Solea soled) during metamorphosis has been studied by light and electron microscopy and preliminary correlations with changes in feeding behaviour have been made.

INTRODUCTION

During metamorphosis, the feeding behaviour of the Dover sole changes considerably. In the early larval phase, the fish swim pelagically, feeding on plankton using their visual sense, while the metamorphosed fish become more active at night, finding food by means of their chemical senses (for a review of the literature, see de Groot, 1971). However, previous observations have shown that sole are capable of feeding in the dark from the very early hatching stage (Blaxter, 1969) and also that at the time of first feeding, the majority of the larvae remain close to the bottom where they appear to ingest particles (Rosenthal, 1966; Fluchter, 1966).