Five in situ observations of live oarfish Regalecus glesne (Regalecidae) by remotely operated vehicles in the oceanic waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

As part of the SERPENT Project, five observations of apparently healthy oarfish Regalecus glesne by remotely operated vehicles are reported from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Regalecus glesne were observed between 2008 and 2011 at depths from within the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. These observations include the deepest verified record of R. glesne (463–492 m) and the first record of an arthropod ectoparasite (isopod).     

Into the deep: the functionality of mesopelagic excursions by an oceanic apex predator

Comprehension of ecological processes in marine animals requires information regarding dynamic vertical habitat use. While many pelagic predators primarily associate with epipelagic waters, some species routinely dive beyond the deep scattering layer. Actuation for exploiting these aphotic habitats remains largely unknown. Recent telemetry data from oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus longimanus) in the Atlantic show a strong association with warm waters (>20°C) less than 200 m. Yet, individuals regularly exhibit excursions into the meso‐ and bathypelagic zone. In order to examine deep‐diving behavior in oceanic whitetip sharks, we physically recovered 16 pop‐up satellite archival tags and analyzed the high‐resolution depth and temperature data. Diving behavior was evaluated in the context of plausible functional behavior hypotheses including interactive behaviors, energy conservation, thermoregulation, navigation, and foraging. Mesopelagic excursions (n = 610) occurred throughout the entire migratory circuit in all individuals, with no indication of site specificity. Six depth‐versus‐time descent and ascent profiles were identified. Descent profile shapes showed little association with examined environmental variables. Contrastingly, ascent profile shapes were related to environmental factors and appear to represent unique behavioral responses to abiotic conditions present at the dive apex. However, environmental conditions may not be the sole factors influencing ascents, as ascent mode may be linked to intentional behaviors. While dive functionality remains unconfirmed, our study suggests that mesopelagic excursions relate to active foraging behavior or navigation. Dive timing, prey constituents, and dive shape support foraging as the most viable hypothesis for mesopelagic excursions, indicating that the oceanic whitetip shark may regularly survey extreme environments (deep depths, low temperatures) as a foraging strategy. At the apex of these deep‐water excursions, sharks exhibit a variable behavioral response, perhaps, indicating the presence or absence of prey.     

Marine foraging ecology influences mercury bioaccumulation in deep-diving northern elephant seals

Mercury contamination of oceans is prevalent worldwide and methylmercury concentrations in the mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m) are increasing more rapidly than in surface waters. Yet mercury bioaccumulation in mesopelagic predators has been understudied. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) biannually travel thousands of kilometres to forage within coastal and open-ocean regions of the northeast Pacific Ocean. We coupled satellite telemetry, diving behaviour and stable isotopes (carbon and nitrogen) from 77 adult females, and showed that variability among individuals in foraging location, diving depth and δ¹³C values were correlated with mercury concentrations in blood and muscle. We identified three clusters of foraging strategies, and these resulted in substantially different mercury concentrations: (i) deeper-diving and offshore-foraging seals had the greatest mercury concentrations, (ii) shallower-diving and offshore-foraging seals had intermediate levels, and (iii) coastal and more northerly foraging seals had the lowest mercury concentrations. Additionally, mercury concentrations were lower at the end of the seven-month-long foraging trip (n = 31) than after the two-month- long post-breeding trip (n = 46). Our results indicate that foraging behaviour influences mercury exposure and mesopelagic predators foraging in the northeast Pacific Ocean may be at high risk for mercury bioaccumulation.     

A new species of parasitic copepod, Sarcotretes umitakae sp. n. (Siphonostomatoida,Pennellidae), on the rattail (Actinopterygii,Macrouridae) from?the?East?China Sea,Japan

A new species of copepod, Sarcotretes umitakae sp. n., of the siphonostomatoid family Pennellidae is described based on female specimens from the rattail Coelorinchus jordani Smith and Pope (Actinopterygii: Gadiformes: Macrouridae) caught in the East China Sea. This species is characterized by exhibiting the following characters: the large proboscis projects strongly; the head bears paired lateral processes which are bulbous and taper into a slender horn; the twisting neck is significantly longer than the trunk; and the trunk bears an anterior constriction with a reduced abdomen.     

Larval fish collected from sound‐scattering layers in an offshore tropical area

The composition of the larval fish assemblage in the sound‐scattering layer of the continental shelf waters off the coast of south‐eastern Brazil (12 and 22° S), a research project that is part of the Brazilian programme Avaliação do Potencial Sustentável de Recursos Vivos na Zona Econômica Exclusiva (REVIZEE), is described. Samples were collected during daylight hours and at dusk at five oceanographic stations in the winter of 1999 using an Isaacs‐Kidd Midwater Trawl (IKMT). The oceanographic stations were chosen based on the detection of plankton layers by acoustic observation. A total of 2192 larval fish were identified, comprising 52 families and 62 species. Maurolicus stehmanni (Sternoptychidae) was the most abundant species found within the study area, comprising 18·5% of all identified larvae, followed by Psilotris celsus (Gobiidae) at 10·9%.     

Effects of temperature on the development and survival of Nanomia bijuga (Hydrozoa, Siphonophora)

Abstract. The effects of temperature on the development of marine invertebrates have been studied primarily in benthic species. For this study, gametes were collected from Nanomia bijuga , a mesopelagic siphonophore, and were self-crossed. Fertilized eggs kept at 8 and 12°C developed more slowly at the lower temperature. Developing stages were preserved after 2, 4, 6, and 9 days of development for comparative analysis with SEM. Concurrent experiments compared survival. Eggs collected from two additional colonies were placed in four temperature treatments: 4, 8, 12, and 18°C. The young developed normally in all treatments, but survived longer at lower temperatures. Young of N. bijuga will develop to siphonulae possessing tentacles, nematocysts, and a functional gastrozooid without being fed. Nonetheless, it is likely that food constraints, rather than temperature, limited survival in this study.     

Trophic interactions of fish communities at midwater depths enhance long-term carbon storage and benthic production on continental slopes

Biological transfer of nutrients and materials between linked ecosystems influences global carbon budgets and ecosystem structure and function. Identifying the organisms or functional groups that are responsible for nutrient transfer, and quantifying their influence on ecosystem structure and carbon capture is an essential step for informed management of ecosystems in physically distant, but ecologically linked areas. Here, we combine natural abundance stable isotope tracers and survey data to show that mid-water and bentho-pelagic-feeding demersal fishes play an important role in the ocean carbon cycle, bypassing the detrital particle flux and transferring carbon to deep long-term storage. Global peaks in biomass and diversity of fishes at mid-slope depths are explained by competitive release of the demersal fish predators of mid-water organisms, which in turn support benthic fish production. Over 50% of the biomass of the demersal fish community at depths between 500 and 1800 m is supported by biological rather than detrital nutrient flux processes, and we estimate that bentho-pelagic fishes from the UK–Irish continental slope capture and store a volume of carbon equivalent to over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ every year.     

Biological information on a rare pelagic fish,black ruff Centrolophus niger,caught in Icelandic waters: Distribution,feeding, and otoliths

Black ruff (Centrolophus niger) is a rare and poorly studied species found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and also in the Mediterranean Sea. It is sporadically caught south of Iceland during the annual International Ecosystem Summer Survey of the Nordic Seas. In total, 43 specimens were caught from 2009 to 2021, of which 41 specimens were caught during 2017–2021. All specimens, except one, were caught using a pelagic trawl (cod-end mesh-size: 50 mm) close to the surface (trawl depth: 0–35 m) with in situ temperature ranging from 9 to 13°C. The area south of Iceland is characterized by having warmer temperatures than other areas around the island, which might be indicative of a northern limit for the distribution of black ruff. The fish were primarily in the range of 29–46 cm with a few larger individuals up to 71 cm. Fourteen fish, caught in 2017 and 2021, were dissected to gather biological information on this species. These fish were all juveniles with no obvious sign of gonad development. Correlations between total length, fork length, and standard length are presented. Otoliths were thin and delicate with a length of ~13–16 mm, and otolith size (length, width, and area) was correlated with fish size. Much of the stomach content was at an advanced stage of digestion, but some contents could be identified and consisted of invertebrates, primarily of the orders Amphipoda and Calanoida with some unidentified fish also present.     

Diel vertical migration of the loosejaw dragonfishes (Stomiiformes: Stomiidae: Malacosteinae): a new analysis for rare pelagic taxa

The diel vertical migration (DVM) of three genera of the stomiid subfamily Malacosteinae (Photostomias, Aristostomias and Malacosteus) was analysed from capture records of nearly 300 specimens in the Atlantic Ocean. To account for broad temporal and geographic scales encountered in this study, local time of capture was transformed to a corrected time representing position in a solar day. Species of Photostomias and Aristostomias undertake asynchronous DVMs characterized by a residence in the mesopelagic zone during the day and separate migrating and non‐migrating subpopulations at night. Species of Photostomias displayed an asynchronous DVM pattern characterized by a residence in the lower mesopelagic zone (>500 m) during the day and a segregated distribution at night. Specimens of Photostomias guernei captured at night in the mesopelagic were nearly identical in size to those captured in the epipelagic; however, day epipelagic specimens were stratified by size. In species of Aristostomias, few specimens were caught in the mesopelagic zone during the day and only small specimens were captured in the mesopelagic zone at night, indicating that sampling depth may not have been adequate to capture the bulk of mesopelagic daytime residents and the entire size range of the non‐migrating night‐time residents. In contrast, Malacosteus niger was distributed below 600 m, did not regularly migrate to the epipelagic zone and was stratified across the 700 m isobath. From these data, relationships between DVM patterns, morphology and foraging ecology are inferred and biases and applications of this method are discussed.