cruises. However, it is difficult to evaluate any differences observed 

 because of the relatively small number of fish collected. For example, the 

 winter skate collected on the first cruise (76-13) consumed a greater per- 

 centage of fish (50.3% vs 12.9%), while more polychaetes (60.7% vs. 21,8%) 

 had been eaten by the fish collected during the second cruise. The sample 

 size was small, two and seven fish for the first and second cruise respec- 

 tively, and therefore these differences may only reflect sampling variance. 

 The small sample size also makes it difficult to accurately assess the dif- 

 ferences in food habits between the windowpane and the ocean pout for the two 

 cruises. The Atlantic cod also differed in its food habits, but in this case 

 the sampling size was larger: 26 for cruise 76-13 and 39 for cruise 77-01. 

 The cod collected during cruise 76-13 ate more Crustacea (62.0% vs. 38.7%), 

 while the amount of fish in the diet decreased (26.5% vs. 53.3%). The most 

 striking difference was in the quantity of food consumed. The mean weight 

 per stomach was 3.90 grams for the 76-13 cruise and 19.37 grams for the 77-01 

 cruise. The length range of the fish sampled on both cruises overlapped (35 

 to 86 centimeters vs. 33 to 100 centimeters), but the average length of the 

 fish was slightly larger (44 vs. 57 centimeters) for the 77-01 cruise. 

 Little skate were also sampled in relatively large numbers during both 

 cruises (Tables 4-5 and Table VII-17 in Appendix VII). Again there were some 

 differences in the food habits, but in both cases the major food items were 

 crustaceans (84.2% and 48.1%). The mean weight per stomach was also similar, 

 although there was a difference in the length range of the fish examined 

 (Tables VII-18 and VIl-19 in Appendix VII). 



In the discussion that follows the stomach samples of each predator 

 species are considered based on data from both cruises. The major dietary 

 components of each fish within a designated category, determined phyletically, 

 are described. 



The first group, the Chondrichthyes, is comprised of the spiny dogfish, 

 Squalus acanthias ; winter skate. Raja ocellata ; thorny skate. Raja r ad lata ; 

 and little skate. Raja erinacea. Over 95% of the diet of the dogfish was 

 fish. The major prey items of the winter skate were polychaete worms (21.8% 

 and 60.7%) and the sand launce, Ammodytes americanus (50.3% and 3.0%). The 

 stomach contents of the thorny skate were composed of a high percentage of 

 fish (43,4%) and polychaete worms (29.5%). The little skate primarily con- 

 sumed crustaceans (84.2% and 48,1%), in particular gammarid amphipods (63.8% 

 and 28.0%). In one sample from cruise 77-01, Station 36, consisting of the 

 stomach contents from, three male little skate ranging in length from 45 to 49 

 centimeters, an oil-like material was found on one caprellid amphipod. 



The gadids included red hake, Urophycis chuss ; haddock, Melanogrammus 

 aeglef inus ; pollock, Pollachius virens; ocean pout, Macrozoarces americanus ; 

 and Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. The red hake diet consisted primarily of mud 

 crabs (Axius serratus ) and rock crabs (Cancer ) , which made up over 50% of the 

 crustaceans (81.1%) eaten. Haddock consumed polychaete worms (24.2%) and 

 ceriantharian anemones (59.5%). The major component of the stomach contents 

 of the pollock was the sand launce, Ammodytes americanus (69.8%), while the 

 prey of the ocean pout was primarily sand dollars, Echinarachnius parma 

 (47.7%). The cod preyed on a variety of Crustacea (62.0% and 38.7%), rock 



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