Occurrence of Phronima sedentaria (Forskål, 1775) (Amphipoda, Hyperiidea) in the stomach of the longnose lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox (Lowe, 1833) (Aulopiformes, Alepisauroidei) in the North and tropical Atlantic Ocean

[Longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) were caught in a longline survey and from their stomach contents Phronima sedentaria were observed to be associated with a gelatinous organism that occurred at a high frequency. A simple regression analysis was performed between the number of barrels and the number of P. sedentaria, and a highly positive correlation resulted (r2 = 0.978, p < 0.001, n = 118). Although the quantitative prevalence of the association of Phronima sedentaria and barrels in the zooplankton community of the study area can not be discussed from these limited seasonal data, it is clear that the association was an important food item for the dominating mesopelagic species, Alepisaurus ferox during the survey period in the North and tropical Atlantic Ocean. The distribution of the association is here reported because of the scarcity of the knowledge on this issue. Des lanciers long-nez (Alepisaurus ferox) ont ete captures au cours d'une campagne au long cours, et dans leurs contenus stomacaux, ont ete observes des Phronima sedentaria associes a un organisme gelatineux qui etait present en grand nombre. Une simple analyse de regression a ete calcule entre le nombre de "tonnelets" et le nombre de P. sedentaria, et une correlation hautement positive en est resultee (r2 = 0,978, p < 0,001, n = 118). Bien que la frequence de l'association de Phronima sedentaria et des tonnelets dans la communaute zooplanctonique de la region etudiee ne puisse etre discutee a partir de ces donnees saisonnieres limitees, il est clair que l'association etait une composante alimentaire importante pour l'espece mesopelagique dominante, Alepisaurus ferox, au cours de cette periode d'investigations dans l'Atlantique nord et tropical. La repartition de cette association est ici rapportee, en raison du manque de connaissance sur ce sujet. , Longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) were caught in a longline survey and from their stomach contents Phronima sedentaria were observed to be associated with a gelatinous organism that occurred at a high frequency. A simple regression analysis was performed between the number of barrels and the number of P. sedentaria, and a highly positive correlation resulted (r2 = 0.978, p < 0.001, n = 118). Although the quantitative prevalence of the association of Phronima sedentaria and barrels in the zooplankton community of the study area can not be discussed from these limited seasonal data, it is clear that the association was an important food item for the dominating mesopelagic species, Alepisaurus ferox during the survey period in the North and tropical Atlantic Ocean. The distribution of the association is here reported because of the scarcity of the knowledge on this issue. Des lanciers long-nez (Alepisaurus ferox) ont ete captures au cours d'une campagne au long cours, et dans leurs contenus stomacaux, ont ete observes des Phronima sedentaria associes a un organisme gelatineux qui etait present en grand nombre. Une simple analyse de regression a ete calcule entre le nombre de "tonnelets" et le nombre de P. sedentaria, et une correlation hautement positive en est resultee (r2 = 0,978, p < 0,001, n = 118). Bien que la frequence de l'association de Phronima sedentaria et des tonnelets dans la communaute zooplanctonique de la region etudiee ne puisse etre discutee a partir de ces donnees saisonnieres limitees, il est clair que l'association etait une composante alimentaire importante pour l'espece mesopelagique dominante, Alepisaurus ferox, au cours de cette periode d'investigations dans l'Atlantique nord et tropical. La repartition de cette association est ici rapportee, en raison du manque de connaissance sur ce sujet. ]