The fate of cetacean carcasses in the deep sea: observations on consumption rates and succession of scavenging species in the abyssal north-east Atlantic Ocean

Jones, E.G.; Collins, M.A.; Bagley, P.M.; Addison, S.; Priede, I.G.. 1998 The fate of cetacean carcasses in the deep sea: observations on consumption rates and succession of scavenging species in the abyssal north-east Atlantic Ocean. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 265 (1401). 1119-1127. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1998.0407

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1998.0407

Abstract/Summary

The fate of cetacean carcasses in the deep sea was investigated using autonomous deep-sea lander vehicles incorporating time-lapse camera systems, fish and amphipod traps. Three lander deployments placed cetacean carcasses at depths of 4000-4800 m in the north-east Atlantic for periods of 36 h, 152 h and 276 h before being recovered. The photographic sequences revealed that carcasses were rapidly consumed by fish and invertebrate scavengers with removal rates ranging from 0.05-0.4 kgh(-1). In the longest experiment the carcass was skeletonized within five days. In each deployment, approximately an hour after emplacement, the grenadier Coryphaenoides (Nematonurus) armatus and large numbers of lysianassid amphipods had arrived at the food-fall. The initially high numbers of grenadiers declined once the majority of the bait had been consumed and a variety of other fish and invertebrates were then observed, some taking up residence at the site. None of the fish species appeared to consume the carcass directly, but preyed upon amphipods instead. Funnel traps recovered with the carcass indicated a succession in the species composition of amphipods, with the specialist necrophages such as Paralicella spp. being replaced by more generalist feeders of the Orchomene species complex.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1998.0407
ISSN:	0962-8452
Date made live:	31 Jan 2018 16:01 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/519190

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1998.0407

ISSN:

0962-8452

Date made live:

31 Jan 2018 16:01 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/519190