Polychlorobiphenyl and pesticide residues in monkfish Lophius piscatorius and black scabbard Aphanopus carbo from the Rockall Trough

Chlorobiphenyl congeners (CBs) and pesticide residues were determined in va rious organs of monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) and black scabbard (Aphanopu s carbo) caught 600-1150 m deep on the continental slope of the Rockall Tro ugh, west of Scotland. Median concentrations of Sigma CB (24 congeners), HC B, Sigma chlordane, Sigma DDT and dieldrin ranged from 40-970. from 6-28, f rom 5-130, from 10-550 and from 5-36 mug kg lipid weight(-1), respectively. in the organs studied. There were no significant differences in the concen trations between organs (within species) on a lipid weight basis. Differenc es in the distribution of individual CB congeners between organs are descri bed. The concentrations of all pesticides were linearly correlated in both species, as were some CBs in black scabbard. DDT and chlordane distribution patterns are broadly similar to those published elsewhere on deep-sea fish from the Northeastern Atlantic and off Japan. The different patterns of co ntaminant distributions between species permitted separation of the two spe cies by discriminant analysis.