Distribution, Population Biology, and Trophic Ecology of the Deepwater Demersal Fish Halosauropsis macrochir (Pisces: Halosauridae) on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
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Date
2012-02-22Metadata
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031493Abstract
Halosauropsis macrochir ranked amongst the most abundant and widespread demersal fishes on the mid-Atlantic Ridge of
the North Atlantic (Iceland-Azores) with greatest abundance at 1700–3500 m. All sizes, ranging from 10–76 cm total length,
occurred in the area without any apparent spatial pattern or depth trend. Using otolith sections displaying growth
increments assumed to represent annuli, the age range recorded was 2–36 years, but most individuals were ,20 years.
Length and weight at age data were used to fit growth models. No differences between sexes in length and weight at age
were observed. The majority of samples had a surplus of males. Diet analysis showed that H. macrochir feeds on Crustacea,
Teleostei, Polychaeta, and Cephalopoda, but few prey could be identified to lower taxonomical levels. The mid-Atlantic
Ridge constitutes a major portion of the North Atlantic living space of the abyssal halosaur where it completes its full life
cycle, primarily as an actively foraging euryophagous micronekton/epibenthos and infauna feeder, becoming a partial
piscivore with increasing size.