Feeding of Fish at the Seamounts of the Whale Ridge (South-Eastern Atlantic Ocean). 2. Splendid alfonsino Beryx splendens (Berycidae)

The feeding characteristics of splendid alfonsino Beryx splendens from the seamounts of the Whale Ridge have been studied. A wide range of food organisms in feeding of splendid alfonsino has been confirmed, comprising meso- and macroplankton of the sound-scattering layers of the mesopelagial. Benthic organisms have not been found in the food spectra of splendid alfonsino. The food spectra of splendid alfonsino differ in populations inhabiting distant groups of the seamounts of the Whale Ridge due to the difference in the composition of the available food items and environmental conditions, fish body size, season, and sampling period. Splendid alfonsino has a pronounced diurnal feeding dynamics: the fish feed most intensively in the evening and at the beginning of the night, when the organisms of the sound-scattering layers migrate to the upper water layers. At this time, maximum feeding and minimum digestion of food are noted. Splendid alfonsino selects organisms of 0.9–130.0 mm (on average, 36.1 mm) in size for feeding. As the body length increases, splendid alfonsino switches to feeding on larger prey, while the ratio of the size of the prey to the size of splendid alfonsino changes little (9.7–11.5%).