Topic
Phosichthyidae
About: Phosichthyidae is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3 publications have been published within this topic receiving 109 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: Differences in the timing and duration of feeding corresponded to differences in their spatio-temporal overlap with key prey, and the vertical flux of near-surface plankton production to the mesopelagic food web is based primarily on diel feeding in the upper water column.
Abstract: We examine the feeding ecology of characteristic micronekton species inhabiting the mid-slope region (~700 to 1,500 m depths) off southern Tasmania. Five fishes, Diaphus danae, Hygophum hanseni, Lampanyctus australis (Myctophidae), Phosichthys argenteus (Phosichthyidae) and Chauliodus sloani (Chauliodontidae), were sampled by depth-stratified midwater trawling on a diel and seasonal basis. Overall, 74 prey taxa were identified from 2,132 stomachs. Euphausiids (mostly Euphausia spinifera and E. similis) and calanoid copepods (mostly Pleuromamma species) were the main prey of the three myctophids; P. argenteus ate fishes and decapods in addition to the euphausiids, while C. sloani ate only fishes. Copepods were less important in the diets of larger D. danae, L. australis and P. argenteus and were replaced by euphausiids in the myctophids and by fishes in P. argenteus. In autumn, when euphausiid biomass increased six-fold, all three myctophids and P. argenteus fed most intensively and consumed a high proportion of euphausiids. The three myctophids appeared to feed nocturnally. Differences in the timing and duration of feeding corresponded to differences in their spatio-temporal overlap with key prey. Daily rations of H. hanseni (1.93% dry-weight biomass) and L. australis (1.43%), estimated from data on stomach fullness, were typical for temperate myctophids and higher than that of the non-migratory P. argenteus (0.43%). The vertical flux of near-surface plankton production to the mesopelagic food web is based primarily on diel feeding in the upper water column (<500 m) rather than consumption of species that migrate seasonally into the deeper mesopelagic zone. Because species such as P. argenteus and C. sloani feed above the third trophic level, their predators, including the commercially important orange roughy, are feeding between levels four and five.
77 citations
TL;DR: Adult mesopelagic fishes are described from acoustic and trawl surveys over the full-depth of 500 m at 169 stations on a longitudinal transect crossing the Humboldt Current at 50–200 nautical miles off Peru during austral spring (October–November) of 2001, 2002 and 2003.
Abstract: The horizontal and vertical distributions of adult mesopelagic fishes are described from acoustic and trawl surveys over the full-depth of 500 m at 169 stations on a longitudinal transect crossing the Humboldt Current (03°45′S, 81°76′W and 18°23′S, 71°13′W) at 50–200 nautical miles off Peru during austral spring (October–November) of 2001, 2002 and 2003. A total of 2,952 kg of fishes was collected, which included 13 families, 23 genera and 28 species. The mesopelagic community is dominated by the families Phosichthyidae (Vinciguerria lucetia), Myctophidae (Diogenichthys laternatus and Lampanyctus idostigma) and Bathylagidae (Leuroglossus urotranus), accounting for 60.4, 12.8 and 3.7%, respectively, of the total catch. Based on horizontal distribution patterns these species were categorized into three groups, i.e. northern-central upwelling front group (L. urotranus, Nemichthys fronto and Scopelarchoides nicholsi), Southern upwelling front group (Hygophum reinhardti, Myctophum nitidulum, Paralepis sp and Scopeloberyx sp.) and pan-Humboldt Current group (V. lucetia, D. laternatus, L.
(Nannobrachium)
idostigma, L. omostigma, M. aurolaternatum, Triphoturus oculeus, Bathylagus
(Melanolagus) berycoides, Leuroglossus stilbius, Argyropelecus affinis, Sternoptyx obscura, Melamphaes sp., Stomias sp. and Scopelosaurus sp.). Nighttime vertical distribution was characterized by a single abundance peak in the upper 50 m. Daytime patterns showed three peaks of abundance: an upper peak, in the upper 100 m, a midwater peak between 200 and 400 m, coinciding with an oxygen minimum zone, and a deeper peak between 400 and 500 m. V. lucetia was dominant in the upper and midwater peaks while myctophids, other planctivorous and piscivorous fishes were distributed in the midwater. Acoustic back-scattered energy (S
a) was ubiquitous in the region. Maximum S
a was mainly located between 11° and 18°S during day and night. V. lucetia is a significant component of the sound-scattering layers in the Humboldt Current Region off Peru.
55 citations
TL;DR: This study represents the first published sequences from thenGOM for the fishes Argyropelecus aculeatus, Maurolicus weitzmani, and Polyipnus clarus and the first molecular identification of larval ascaridoids from mesopelagic fishes in the nGOM.
Abstract: Mesopelagic fishes represent significant ecological links between mesozooplankton and the larger pelagic squids, fishes, and marine mammals. As such, these fishes also play a significant role as intermediate or paratenic hosts for parasites that require a crustacean intermediate host and mature in marine mammals or pelagic fishes. We examined a total of 208 individuals representing 5 species of Sternoptychidae and 88 individuals representing 2 species of Phosichthyidae from 20 locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). Six of the 7 species we examined are mesopelagic and one species was benthopelagic. We found the larval stages of Anisakis brevispiculata, Anisakis typica, Hysterothylacium fortalezae (all Nematoda: Ascaridoidea); Bolbosoma sp. (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae); and Tetraphyllidea (Cestoda) plus an immature specimen of Brachyphallus sp. (Digenea). Molecular sequencing was used to identify the ascaridoids and Bolbosoma sp. and to confirm the identification of 3 host sternoptychid species. The mesopelagic fishes hosted Anisakis brevispiculata (that matures in pygmy and dwarf sperm whales) and Hysterothylacium fortalezae (that matures in pelagic fishes, primarily mackerels), whereas the benthopelagic species was parasitized by Anisakis typica (that matures in dolphins). We suggest this pattern of infection indicates a pelagic life—cycle for Anisakis brevispiculata and Hysterothylacium fortalezae and a demersal life—cycle for Anisakis typica. Our study represents the first published sequences from the nGOM for the fishes Argyropelecus aculeatus, Maurolicus weitzmani, and Polyipnus clarus and the first molecular identification of larval ascaridoids from mesopelagic fishes in the nGOM.
15 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |