Syacium gunteri, was discarded most frequently 

 (10,725 individuals; 17% of total discards). Other fre- 

 quently discarded fishes included longspine porgy, 

 Stenotomus caprinus; Atlantic croaker, Micropogo- 

 mas undulatus; Atlantic bumper, Chloroscombrus 

 chrysurus; blackfin searobin, Prionotus rubio; and 

 dwarf sand perch, Diplectrum bivittatum. 



Fish stomach contents were examined according to 

 six depth ranges: 9-17 m (18 stations), 18-26 m (31 



stations), 27-36 m (27 stations), 37-45 m (15 sta- 

 tions), 46-54 m (6 stations), and 55-64 m (3 stations) 

 (Tables 1-6). In all six depth ranges, detritus was the 

 most frequently observed category, when data from 

 all species were pooled. Among the 81 species ex- 

 amined from all depths, detritus was found in the 

 stomachs of 62 species and was the most frequently 

 observed category for 55 species. In contrast, Rogers 

 (1977) listed detritus as occurring in stomachs of 



TABLE 1. — Frequency of occurrence of food items (from stomachs containing food) in fishes from the Texas coast collected from 9 to 17 m 

 water depths between 4 June and 3 July 1981. Fish sizes inmmSL. N= total stomachs examined, %E — percentage of empty stomachs, De = 

 detritus, Sh = shrimp, Ho = holothurians, Cr = crabs, Fi = fishes, Ms = other taxa such as molluscs, mysids, octopi, and polychaetes. Fre- 

 quency of occurrence of prey fishes and shrimps in parentheses. Prey shrimps denoted by T (Trachypenaeus), S (Sicyonia), or P (Penaeus 

 aztecus), followed by frequency and size range (mm tail length). 



Table 2.— Frequency of occurrence of food items (from stomachs containing food) in fishes from the Texas coast collected from 18 to 26 m 

 water depths between 4 June and 3 July 1981. Fish sizes in mm SL, except * = mm total length. 7V = total stomachs examined, %E = percent- 

 age of empty stomachs, De = detritus, Sh = shrimp, Fi = fish, Cr = crabs, Sq = squid, Ms = other taxa including molluscs, mysids, octopi, 

 polychaetes, and holothurians. Frequency of occurrence of prey fishes and shrimps in parentheses. Prey shrimps denoted by 

 T (Trachypenaeus), S (Sicyonia), or P (Penaeus aztecus), followed by frequency and size range (mm tail length). 



398 



