only 5 of the 26 species he examined from Texas and 

 Louisiana shelf waters. Of the 17 species held in com- 

 mon, we found detritus in the stomachs of 1 5 species, 

 while rogers found detritus in only 4 species. We 

 believe such differences are derived from differing 



methodologies (visual identification of stomach con- 

 tents by us and microscopic examination by Rogers), 

 but we suggest that ingestion of detrital matter by 

 fishes remains widespread. 

 Fishes were found in stomachs of 30 species from all 



TABLE 3. — Frequency of occurrence of food items (from stomachs containing food) in fishes from the Texas coast collected from 27 to 36 m 

 water depths between 4 June and 3 July 1981. Fish sizes in mm SL, except * = mm total length. N = total stomachs examined, '/<' E = per- 

 centage of empty stomachs, De = detritus, Fi = fish, Sq = squid, Sh = shrimp, St = stomatopods, Cr= crabs, Ho = holothurians, Po = 

 polychaetes. 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). 



TABLE 4. — Frequency of occurrence of food items (from stomachs containing food) in fishes from the Texas coast collected from 37 to 45 m 

 water depths between 4 June and 3 July 1981. Fish sizes in mm SL, except * = mm total length. N = total stomachs examined, '/cE = per- 

 centage of empty stomachs, De = detritus, Fi = fish, Sq = squid, Cr = crabs, Sh = shrimp, St = stomatopods, Ms = other taxa including 

 polychaetes, mysids, and molluscs. Frequency of occurrence of prey fishes and shrimps in parentheses. Prey shrimps denoted by T (Trachy- 

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



399 



