Ma. Collins et al., In situ comparison of activity in two deep-sea scavenging fishes occupyingdifferent depth zones, P ROY SOC B, 266(1432), 1999, pp. 2011-2016
Citations number
34
Categorie Soggetti
Experimental Biology
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
The activity of two scavenging deep-sea fishes occupying the same niche in
overlapping depth zones were compared by in situ measurements of swimming s
peeds, tail-beat frequencies and by arrival time at baits. At 4800 m on the
Porcupine Abyssal Plain, the grenadier Coryphaenoides (Nematonurus) armatu
s was the dominant scavenger, arriving at baits after 30 min, and swimming
at relatively slow speeds of 0.17 body lengths (BL) sec(-1). At 2500 m in t
he relatively food rich Porcupine Seabight both C. (N.) armatus and the blu
e-hake, Antimora rostrata, were attracted to bait, but A. rostrata was alwa
ys the first to arrive and most of the bait was consumed before the C. (N.)
armatus arrived. A. rostrata swam at mean speeds of 0.39 BL sec(-1), simil
ar to related shallow water species at equivalent temperatures. Observation
s on tail-beat frequency from video sequences confirmed the greater activit
y of A. rostrata. The data indicate that, given sufficient food supply high
pressure and low temperature do not limit activity levels of demersal deep
-sea fishes. Low activity of C. (N.) armatus is an adaptation to poor food
supply in the abyss, where these fishes dominate, but prevents it competing
with the more active A. rostrata in shallower depths.