Publication Date:
2022-08-05
Description:
Macrorhamphosus scolopax spawns in the area around Meteor Seamount (30° N, 28° 30' W) from January until the middle of February. The first larval stages are living in the surface layer during nighttime, at daytime they stay in deeper layers. After reaching a length of about 5 mm, the larvae and smaller juveniles up to approximately 45 mm concentrate in the pleustal at daytime, at nighttime they migrate to probably 200 m depth. At a length of 40-50 mm and an age of about three months they leave the pleustal and move to the bottom. The animals on the Meteor Seamount grow to a length of 195 mm. The adults feed near the bottom, approximately a third of their food is benthic, the rest planktic. Macrorhamphosus gracilis spawns from February until the middle of March. The larvae and smaller juveniles behave like those of A1. scolopax. After leaving the pleustal, at least part of the stock stays pelagic. The adults live partly at the bottom and partly pelagic, they feed exclusively on planktonic food. On the Meteor Seamount the animals reach two years of age and a maximum length of 135 mm, which is less than in other areas.
Type:
Article
,
PeerReviewed
Format:
text
