PEARCY ET AL.: SUBMERSIBLE OBSERVATIONS OF DEEP-REEF FISHES 



23-31 August 1987. See Figure 3 for cluster analysis of habitat 

 varied, we compared relative abundances among dives.) 



Solitary Benthic Rockfishes 



We saw solitary benthic rockfishes on all 

 dives. The rosethorn rockfish (10-15 cm in 

 length) was the most ubiquitous of all fishes ob- 

 served on our dives. They were seen on all dives 



between 67 and 305 m, except the two dives over 

 mud bottom, and ranked first in abundance on 10 

 of 21 transects (Table 2). They usually occurred 

 singly, resting on soft sediments near rocks, on 

 flat rocks, and occasionally in the depressions of 

 vase sponges. Shortspine thornyheads, Sebasto- 



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