Deep-sea fish assemblages in the Catalan Sea (western
Mediterranean) below a depth of 1000 m
C. Stefanescu*, D. Lloris* and J.
Rucabado*
*Institut
de Ciències del Mar—CSIC,
Passeig Nacional s/n, 08039Barcelona, Spain
Received 9 December 1991;
revised 3 June 1992;
accepted 11 June 1992.
Available online 8 April 2003.
Abstract
The analysis of 48 bottom trawl collections from the Catalan Sea below a depth of 1000 m has allowed the
identification of two distinct demersal fish assemblages, occurring on the middle and lower slope. The
Middle Slope Assemblage (MSA) and Lower Slope Assemblage (LSA), restricted to the middle (1000–
1425 m) and lower (1425–2250 m) slope, respectively, each consist of two groups with distinct structures.
While one group is relatively homogeneous, the other can be considered as comprising a faunal transition.
Each assemblage is dominated by species possessing very different characteristics. The preponderance
of middle and large size fish with high energy requirements in the MSA is replaced, in the LSA, by smaller
and more passive species with lower energy requirements. These differences are reflected in a series of
ecological parameters such as abundance, biomass, mean fish weight, species richness and mean
species richness. A pronounced decrease in the value of these parameters is generally seen with
increasing depth, reflecting the increasingly oligotrophic conditions. Furthermore, the highly stable
environmental conditions of the western Mediterranean (where water temperature and salinity rarely
change below a depth of 150 m), suggest that the observed zonations may be determined by biological
factors. It is possible to relate the observed faunistic changes with the vertical distribution of mesopelagic
organisms. These organisms play a fundamental role in the feeding ecology of demersal fish species of
the slope, either directly as prey or indirectly by enriching the sediments, and thus determining the
distribution of sedimentivorous invertebrate species.
Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Volume 40, Issue 4, April 1993, Pages 695-707