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John Dodrill et al. 
Synopsis of Foods 
Crustacea 
Snowy grouper fed most extensively on crustaceans. 
Approximately 91% of the items were crustaceans, representing 73% 
of the volume (Table 3). Brachyuran crabs dominated this group 
(90% by number; 72% of the volume) and were represented by 12 
species. Other crustaceans were of relatively minor importance and 
included macruran shrimps, Solenocera sp. (probably S. atlantidis 
Burkenroad), and a stomatopod, Parasquilla coccinea. The volumet- 
ric percentage we recorded for decapods was almost identical to 
that reported from the earlier NMFS study of snowy grouper from 
the outer shelf of North Carolina and South Carolina (Duke Uni- 
versity Marine Laboratory 1982, Parrish 1987). However, our volu- 
metric percentage for brachyurans was more than twice that noted 
by Bielsa (1982) for snowy grouper from the lower Florida Keys. 
All crustacean prey from snowy grouper have depth ranges 
extending seaward of 182 m (Williams 1984, Soto 1985). Adult 
crustaceans are mid-outer shelf or upper slope inhabitants whose 
bathymetric ranges seasonally overlap (Wenner and Read 1982). Only 
two crustacean prey, Ovalipes stephensoni and Calappa falmmea, 
extend into shallow waters (<10 m). There, seasonal temperature 
extremes, turbidity, freshwater runoff, light level, and substrate dif- 
ferences present major barriers to most outer-shelf-edge decapods 
(Cerame-Vivas and Gray 1966, Van Dover and Kirby-Smith 1979, 
Wenner and Read 1982, Williams 1984). 
Although decapod distribution probably remains constant with 
latitude throughout the South Atlantic Bight (Wenner and Read 1982), 
bathymetric distribution patterns of prey probably result in major 
species differences in diet composition between snowy grouper ju- 
veniles on the mid shelf and adults on the upper slope. Predator 
and prey size variations with depth could also be a factor. Com- 
mercial hook-and-line captures of juvenile E. niveatus have occurred 
at depths as shallow as 23 m east of the Cape Lookout Shoals 
“Knuckle” buoy. Juvenile snowy grouper normally are not caught 
by hook and line until 42-64 m, and usually deeper. Adult snowy 
grouper have been caught on hook and line as deep as 293-394 m 
from January through March and as far north as 100 km northeast 
of Cape Hatteras. Both Cerame-Vivas and Gray (1966) and Wenner 
and Read (1982) reported only minor overlap of upper slope deca- 
pod fauna with inner-shelf species and considered the upper slope 
crest a major zoogeographical boundary. 
Decapod prey of snowy grouper collected at 146-238 m be- 
came progressively less common the farther inshore dredging or 
