CLARKE: DIEL FEEDING PATTERNS OF MESOPELAGIC FISHES 



4.0 



3.0 



to 

 to 



LLJ 



^2.01- 



3 



U- 



>« 



1.0- 



ihi 



1 



{ 



D3 SS Nl N2 N3 N4 SR Dl D2 D3 



V. tripunctulotus 



n 



~~l \ 1 1 1 T T 



D3 SS Nl N2 N3 N4 SR Dl D2 D3 



D3 SS dNl dN2 dN3 SR Dl D2 D3 



I 1 1 1 1 I I 



1600 2000 0000 0400 0800 1200 1600 



TIME OF DAY 



70r 



60- 



5.0- 



4.0- 



1.0- 



3.0- T 



2.0- 



D3 SS Nl N2 N3N4 SR Dl D2 D3 



D3 SS Nl N2 N3 N4 SR Dl D2 D3 



I 1 1 1 1 I I 



1600 2000 0000 0400 0800 1200 1600 



TIME OF DAY 



Figure 3. — Stomach fullness throughout the diel cycle for five species of stomiatoids: Gonostoma atlanticum, Gonostoma elongatum, 

 Valenciennellus tripunctulatus , Danaphos oculatus, and Vinciguerria nimbaria. Symbols and format as in Figure 1. 



rather than the medians, because there were 

 marked differences in frequency distribution for 

 these periods — differences to which the median is 

 not sensitive. At D2 the data were skewed to the 

 left with most values <1% and very few full 

 stomachs. At D3 the data were bimodal; 7 values 

 were higher than the mean of ca. 2.757f and 11 

 <1%. By SS, the data were again unimodal and 

 skewed slightly to the right with 16 values >2% 



and only 2 <1%. Thus the trend between D2 and 

 SS was one of a gradual change in percentages of 

 the fish with very full stomachs, and the abrupt 

 increase in median values between D3 and SS 

 occurred as the high values became the dominant 

 mode. The percentages of empty stomachs showed 

 a trend opposite to that of the average values, i.e., 

 an increase during the night and a decrease be- 

 tween SR and D2. 



505 



