Smith et al.: Distribution and biology of Zaprora silenus 



175 



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 90 



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E 60 



£ 50 \ 



S 40 



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L = 89 33(1-e-° ,8 '<'-<-° 554 ») 

 r = 0.752 



10 15 



Age (years) 



20 



25 



Figure 6 



Prowfish total length \L) fitted by a von Bertalanffy function of age (f). Data for males 

 («=71) are shown by diamonds; data for females (rc=67) are shown by squares. The fitted 

 model is shown by a solid line. 



by weight of total food in the two regions, respectively) 

 and gelatinous pelagic tunicates (Salpa spp.; 34% in the 

 Aleutian Islands area only) were the most important food 

 (Table 1). Although calanoid copepods and Themisto sp. 

 (amphipod) were both often present in GOA specimens 

 (28.13% and 28.57% of stomachs, respectively), they were 

 not important food in terms of weight. The same was true 

 in the AI for calanoid copepods, Themisto sp., gammaridean 



amphipods, and hyperiidean amphipods (29.14%, 36.91%, 

 30.49%, and 33.46% respectively). Mysids and larvaceans 

 from GOA specimens as well as ctenophors, polychaetes, and 

 euphasiids from AI specimens occurred in trace amounts. 

 Sebastes larvae (5-8 mm standard length), the only fish 

 species found, were found in 43% of Gulf of Alaska stomachs 

 but made up only 0.43% of prey weight. Some Dover sole 

 [Microstomas paeifieus) eggs had also been consumed. 



