Towing large nets by single warp at abyssal depths: methods and biological results

Abstract

Abstract Adequately sampling deep-water nekton is difficult because of the great time required for tows, avoidance of nets by larger animals, and the sparse fauna. These problems have been compounded by the small nets usually used for such sampling. This paper describes the equipment, techniques, difficulties, and results of towing large midwater and bottom trawls single warp at depths below 2000 m from chartered commercial fishing vessels. Use of large nets (107 m 2 mouth pelagic rope trawl and 29.6 m headrope otter trawl) is a method which minimizes the effects on sample sizes and compositions of the above factors. Tows with large opening-closing midwater trawls and otter trawls between 2000 and 4300 m off northern California collected specimens of rare species and unusually large individuals of other species. Included among these are five fish species not previously reported from off California: Bathysaurus mollis (Synodontidae), Barathronus pacificus (Aphyonidae), Echinomacrurus occidentalis (Macrouridae), Dysalotus oligoscolus (Chiasmodontidae), and Bellocia alvifrons (Alepocephalidae). Fishes decreased with depth by numbers of species, numbers of individuals, and by weight. Decapod crustaceans did not show similar trends. Cephalopods were uncommon at all depths sampled. Coryphaenoides filifer (Macrouridae), a nominally benthic fish species, was unexpectedly abundant in midwater between 2000 and 3100 m. It constituted 54.6% of the fish biomass collected at these depths. Its abundance did not appear to be related to sex, size, or reproduction. Food habits of Coryphaenoides armatus and C. yaquinae (Macrouridae), the most abundant benthic fish species, differed. The former ate primarily nekton; the latter, benthic infauna. Occurrence in stomachs of beaks from shallow living squid and of epipelagic barnacles suggests that carrion may form a significant part of the diets of these species. One ripe and five ripening female C. armatus , all longer than 740 mm TL, were collected. Estimated fecundity of the ripest was 6.2 × 10 6 eggs. Based on these and previous captures, C. armatus females mature at a large size, have a high fecundity relative to other macrourids, may not spawn simultaneously, and may be semelparous.