FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 70, NO. 2 



Table 2. — Taxonomic list' and relative importance of food organisms identified from the 

 alimentary canals of 283 ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei)- collected off Oregon during 

 1965-1967. 



Gyrocotyle were found lodged in the folds of the 

 spiral valve and were not embedded in the in- 

 testinal wall, thus making expulsion by violent 

 intestinal movements possible. 



In the Cape Arago collection, 7 of the 21 adult 

 male ratfish had from two to eight Acanthochon- 

 dria sp. attached to the free ends of their clasp- 

 ers. The immature males and the females did 

 not carry this copepod. The species is similar 

 to, but not the same as, A. compacta." 



* Personal communication, Dr. Satyu Yamaguti, Belts- 

 ville, Md., June 13, 1967. 



An unidentified fungus, which occurred on the 

 intestine of 29% of the Newport collection, was 

 not necessarily a parasite as it may have devel- 

 oped in the interval between capture and preser- 

 vation. No visible lesions or other damage were 

 noticed on the body or alimentary canal surfaces 

 of the ratfish in which the fungus occurred. The 

 fungus appeared to be of nonseptate, white, fil- 

 amentous type. 



Sex and relative age of ratfish can be deter- 

 mined by examination of the secondary sex char- 

 acteristics. Males possess a frontal tenaculum, 

 prepelvic tenacula, and claspers, whereas fe- 



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