NOTES 



FOOD HABITS AND ALGAL 



ASSOCIATIONS OF JUVENILE LUMPFISH, 



CYCLOPTERUS LUMPUS L., IN 



INTERTIDAL WATERS 



The lumpfish, Cyclopterus lumpics L., occurs in the 

 north Atlantic Ocean, and is economically important 

 in Maritime Canada (roe) and in Iceland, Greenland, 

 and Europe (flesh and roe). Adults spawn in sub- 

 tidal waters along rocky coasts and occasionally in 

 intertidal waters (Benfey and Methven 1986). The 

 spawning behavior and curious parental care by 

 males was described in the 1800s and early 1900s 

 (Yarrell 1841; Fulton 1907) and recently by Goulet 

 et al. (1986). Juveniles, particularly age 0, have been 

 encountered in pelagic waters (Blacker 1983; 

 Daborn and Gregory 1983), in coastal areas (Bige- 

 low and Schroeder 1953), and in intertidal waters 

 (Proctor 1933; Moring 1985). 



Examinations of the food habits of adult lumpfish 

 have shown that the diet includes principally coelen- 

 terates, ctenophores, chaetognaths, various crusta- 

 ceans, small fishes, and some molluscs and poly- 

 chaetes (Cox and Anderson 1922; Bigelow and 

 Schroeder 1953; Collins 1976; Gregory and Daborn 

 1982; Able and Irion 1985). Daborn and Gregory 

 (1983), who examined the foods of juveniles in pela- 

 gic waters, found that surface-feeding amphipods 

 and copepods were most important in the diet. With 

 that exception, however, the foods consumed by 

 juvenile lumpfish are largely unknown, particular- 

 ly in intertidal areas. 



The Cyclopteridae possess a ventral suction disc 

 with which they adhere to rocks, lobster traps, or 

 other firm objects. Juveniles are often encountered 

 attached to marine algae as well, and in pelagic 

 waters they have been encountered swimming freely 

 and also attached to floating algae (Procter 1933; 

 Forsman 1970; Daborn and Gregory 1983). In tide- 

 pools, however, juvenile lumpfish attach primarily 

 to various species of marine algae— associations that 

 have not been documented. 



Juvenile lumpfish are seasonally present in Maine 

 tidepools from June to December (Moring, unpubl. 

 data). Occurrences after October are rare— as is 

 typical for most intertidal fishes in Maine. In this 

 study, I examine the foods of juvenile lumpfish dur- 

 ing this seasonal period in intertidal areas and docu- 

 ment their associations with algae in tidepools. 



Materials and Methods 



Juvenile lumpfish were collected primarily in three 

 tidal pools: Blueberry, West Pond, and West Side, 

 along Schoodic Peninsula, a portion of Acadia 

 National Park near Winter Harbor, ME. Blueberry 

 Pool, on the eastern side of the Peninsula, is in the 

 middle to upper intertidal zone and is isolated at plus 

 ebb tides <0.5 m. This pool was the deepest of the 

 three (maximum depth averaged 53 cm during col- 

 lecting trips). Total pool area, measured by com- 

 pass and tape and computed on circumpolar paper, 

 was 109 m- (95 m- of exposed pool surface: com- 

 puted by subtracting area of exposed rocks from 

 total pool area). Direct wave action is from the east, 

 but the pool is effectively protected, being 20 m 

 from open water. The anthophyte, Zostera marina, 

 and 13 species of marine algae were identified in 

 the pool during a species composition survey in July 

 1986. 



West Pond Pool, along the southern edge of the 

 Schoodic Peninsula, is the smallest of the three 

 study pools, averaging 41 m- of total and exposed 

 pool area. Maximum depth averaged 37 cm. A rock 

 wall forms the eastern boundary of the pool in the 

 lower intertidal zone. Direct wave action is from the 

 southwest, and the pool is formed only during minus 

 (<0.0 m) tides. Eleven species of marine algae were 

 identified in the pool in July 1986, but Z. marina 

 was not collected. 



West Side Pool is the largest and shallowest of 

 the pools. Total pool area averaged 106 m- (104 m- 

 of exposed pool), and maximum depth averaged 36 

 cm during collecting trips. Direct wave action is 

 from the west and pool isolation is less than two 

 hours during ebb tides. Zostera marina and 14 

 species of marine algae were identified in the pool 

 in July 1986. 



Juvenile lumpfish were collected with long-han- 

 dled dip nets during ebb tides and were measured 

 (mm total length), and algal associations (attach- 

 ments by ventral suction disc) were noted. These 

 associations were noted by direct observation of fish 

 on a species of algae prior to capture or by passing 

 a net through a clump of algae of known species and 

 dislodging fish. Based on unpublished data, samples 

 represent 20-25% of total lumpfish juveniles in 

 pools. Fish were preserved in 10% formalin and 

 stomach contents of 150 fish were analyzed. Total 



Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 87:233-237. 



233 



