of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 509 



Moray Firth— captured on June 5tb, 1901, a quantity of food was 

 obtained consisting chiefly of Oikopleura ( ApjiewHcuJaria), and young 

 ErJiinocardium. 



A sample of twelve Haddocks captured in 65 fathoms off Aberdeen on 

 May 17th, 1901, and measuring from 17 to 21^*^ centimetres in length, 

 had all apparently been recently feeding, but they had evidently from 

 choice or necessity limited their efforts to the selecting of small shell-fishes 

 (young CorJnila gihha, Cylirliina alba, and Philine srahra), small Crustacea 

 of various kinds, small Annelids, and brittle Starfishes. Foraminifera 

 comprising BUondina sp., Miliolina sp., Rotalia hecrari, and others were 

 also not infrequent, but whether these were introduced into their stomachs 

 from adhering to or forming the food of the other organisms captured or 

 intentionally selected by the fish, is a question which in some cases at 

 least would be difficult to answer satisfactorily, Crustacea, as usual, 

 formed a large part of the food found in the stomachs of these fishes, and 

 the following are a few of the rarer forms observed : — HemiJa7ii props rosea 

 was observed in seven stomachs, Eudorellopsis deformis in one, and 

 Campylaspis afftnis in one ; Metopa ruhrovittata was observed in one 

 stomach, and Mefopella nasuta in seven ; Plioxoceplialus holbolli occurred 

 in at least one stomach, and Amp)7iiIochoides intermedms in one, while 

 Unciola planipes was found in four. A few Ostracods, of which 

 Bytliocythere turgida was the more frequent, and the Copepod species 

 Longipedia coronata, were also occasionally observed. In none of these 

 stomachs were any fish remains found. Another sample of Haddocks 

 from the deep water (about 58 fathoms) ten miles off Aberdeen, and 

 collected on September 3rd, 1901, was also examined; the specimens in 

 this sample, which were smaller than the last, ranged from 11 j^ to 14^ 

 centimetres in length ; all their stomachs contained food which as usual 

 consisted largely of small Crustacea, chiefly Sympoda, Amphipoda, and 

 Copepoda (Longipjedia coronata). Fragments of a small slender Starfish 

 (? Amp)liiiira) were . occasionally noticed, and also very small 

 EcJwioc yam us (or young Echinocardiiun sp.), but no remains of Annelids 

 or fishes were observed. The following are some Crustacean species 

 observed in the stomachs of this sample but which were not noticed in 

 those of the previous one, viz.: — Petalosarsia dedicis, Bodotria scorpioides 

 (Montague), and Diastylis rugosa belonging to the Sympoda; Megaluropus 

 agdis, Faramphithoe monocuspis, Gammaropsis erytliropldlialmus, and 

 P/i/^s/ea ?ftarm« belonging to the Amphipoda; Asteropje marke — one of 

 the Ostraooda — and Teinora longicornis belonging to the Copepoda. 

 Twelve specimens — part of another sample of small Haddocks from the 

 deep water off Aberdeen — collected on November 28th, and ranging in 

 length from about 16 to 18^ centimetres, had apparently been all feeding 

 just before they were captured, as the contents of their stomachs were in 

 a fairly fresh condition when examined. The food observed consisted 

 for the most part of Crustacea (young Portunus, Crangon, Spirotifucaris 

 securifrons, Ampdisca macrocephala, Pontocrates altaniarinus and other 

 Amphipods) and Echinoderms (chiefly Aniphinra sp., and Echinocyamus 

 pnmllas — Echinocyamus occurred more or less frequently in every stomach 

 examined, and in one no fewer than eighty-three specimens of this small 

 Echinoderm were obtained); some Annelid remains and one or two small 

 Molluscs (PhUine scahra, etc.) were also noticed. 



It is evident from an examination of the food of these Haddocks that, 

 for a short time before they were captured, they had been feeding almost 

 solely on bottom organisms ; it may be that a scarcity of pelagic forms 

 had caused them tu seek their food from amongst the bottom fauna, but 

 it is probable that they prefer such organisms instead of those whose 

 habitat is more pelagic. 



