Benthopelagic habits of adult specimens of Lampanyctus crocodilus (Risso, 1810) (Osteichthyes, Myctophidae) in the western Mediterranean deep slope
Constantino Stefanescu and Joan E. Cartes

In an extensivesurvey of the middle and lower slope fish fauna of the Catalan Sea (westernMediterranean), the myctophid Lampanyctus crocodilus appeared as acommon species despite using a semi-balloon otter trawl as sampling gear. Allspecimens captured were adults ranging from 5-18 cm. The peak abundance was located around 1200 m, the species becoming notably scarcer below thisdepth. No differences between day and night catches were found. These findingssharply contrast with the results obtained in the upper slope (544-710 m) using a commercial bottom trawl, where there are important differences in daytnight catches. Astudy of the feeding habits of the specimens coming from the upper slope showedboth a marked predominance of pelagic prey and a nocturnal foraging periodcentered in the BBL. The diet of those specimens collected in the middle andlower slope is markedly different, considering the great contribution ofepibenthic mobile prey such as calanoid copepods and mysids. The diminishing influenceof the mesopelagic fauna below 1000 m could be responsible of this change indiet and also may be the cause of the loss of a diel migration habit in adultspecimens of L. crocodilus.

Keywords: benthopelagic, diet, behaviour, Lampanyctus crocodilus, slope,western Mediterranean.
Contents of this volume Sci. Mar. 56(1) : 69-74 Back PDF
 
 
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