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Food habits and intestinal parasites of deep demersal fishes from the upper continental slope east of Newfoundland, northwest Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

Stomach contents and intestinal parasite faunas of 471 individuals of demersal fishes in 14 species were examined from the Carson Canyon region (Lat. 45°30′N; Long. 48°40′W) of the upper continental slope of the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada. Individual species tended to feed either on benthic or on pelagic/benthopelagic organisms, but pelagic prey assumed the greatest importance overall. Data from stomach contents were supported by the parasite information. Prevalence of parasites was higher in benthic feeders (53.1%) than in pelagic feeders (28.9%), and relative abundance by major group was: Digenetic Trematoda 5.8% benthic vs 27.8% pelagic, Nematoda 53.1% vs 72.2%, and Acanthocephala 40.9% vs 0%. Of the dominant fishes, there were more species of benthic feeders (5) than pelagic feeders (3), but pelagic feeders were numerically more abundant (pelagic 70.9%, benthic 20.5%). Benthic feeders were on average larger (=270.6g) than pelagic ones (=130.6g), but pelagic feeders represented a larger proportion of the biomass (pelagic 43.3%, benthic 25.9%). The results of this study combined with those from other areas suggest that feeding from the pelagial by demersal fishes at upper continental slope depths is probably the general rule.

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  1. Department of Biology and Newfoundland Institute for Cold Ocean Science, Memorial University, A1B 2X7, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

    K. A. Houston & R. L. Haedrich

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  1. K. A. Houston
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  2. R. L. Haedrich
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Communicated by R. W. Doyle, Halifax

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Houston, K.A., Haedrich, R.L. Food habits and intestinal parasites of deep demersal fishes from the upper continental slope east of Newfoundland, northwest Atlantic Ocean. Mar. Biol. 92, 563–574 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392516

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