A Note on Bycatch Associated with Deepwater Trapping of Chaceon in the Northcentral Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Bycatch associated with deepwater trapping of Chaceon is reported for outer shelf and slope waters of thenorthcentralGulfofMexico. Bycatch wasdominated by theisopod,Bathynomusgiganteus. Other crustacean megafauna consisted of the majid crab, Rochinia crassa, and the portunid crabs, Benthochascon schmitti and Bathynectes longispina. Finfish bycatch included hagfish, Eptatretus springeri, deepwater shark, Centrophorus uyatoand hake, Urophyciscirrata.

Locomotory activity and feeding strategy of the hadal munnopsid isopod Rectisura cf. herculea (Crustacea: Asellota) in the Japan Trench

“…However, Svavarsson et al reported that Ilyarachna hirticeps and Eurycope inermis (Family: Munnopsidae) from 1200 to 2000m were actually selectively preying upon benthic foraminifers rather than consuming detritus (Svavarsson et al, 1993), a strategy reiterated in mouthpart morphology (Wilson and Thistle, 1985). Scavenging is a feeding strategy used by some shallower isopod genera, notably Natatolana (Wong and Moore, 1995;Svane and Barnett, 2008), which also occur and scavenge as deep as 2500m (Albertelli et al, 1992;Kaïm-Malka, 1997), and the giant isopod Bathynomus giganteus (Perry et al, 1995;Soong and Mok, 1994), which is known to occasionally consume fish and squid remains (Chamberlain et al, 1986;BarradasOrtiz et al, 2003). However, these species belong to another suborder, Flabellifera, and the family Cirolanidae, which are a specialized group of sighted and active carnivorous scavengers.…”

Organic Reserves in the Midgut Gland and Fat Body of the Giant Deep-sea Isopod Bathynomus Giganteus

“…Bathynomus giganteus was long believed to be rare, but this is because it can avoid dredges and trawls. The use of baited traps has demonstrated that it is a fairly common deep-sea scavenger (Briones-Fourzan and Lozano-Alvarez, 1991;Perry et al, 1995).…”