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John Dodrill et al. 
trawling was conducted. Of brachyurans recorded in the diet, 
Cancer borealis Stimpson and C. irroratus Say rarely leave the 
upper slope, whereas the following crab species have centers of 
adult distribution concentrated on the outer shelf or slope crown: 
Acanthocarpus alexandri, Calappa angusta, Iliacantha sub- 
globosa, Myropsis quinquespinosa Stimpson, Nibilia antilocapra 
(Stimpson), and Stenocionops spinimana (Rathbun) (Pequegnat 
1970, Williams 1984). 
Portunidae — Portunus spinicarpus was the most frequently en- 
countered prey ( n = 494). We found up to 23 whole P. spinicarpus 
in a single grouper stomach. Also, based on similar states of prey 
freshness, several grouper had eaten multiple P. spincarpus from 
the same sites at about the same time. Additionally, snowy grouper 
fed on both adult and juvenile P. spinicarpus of mixed sexes (286 
males, 143 females, 65 juvenile or sex undetermined). These had a 
carapace width (CW) of 21-58 mm. Two gravid females (37 and 
42 mm CW, orange and brown eggs, respectively) were recovered 
from grouper in May 1985, in depths of 146-155 m in the primary 
study area. 
This crab occurred most frequently in gut contents from 
mid-May through August, declining in importance in fall. We re- 
corded none as prey past mid-October, although winter trawl records 
were noted from an outer Onslow Bay station (50-100 m) (South 
Carolina Wildlife Marine Resources Department and Duke Uni- 
versity Marine Laboratory 1982) and off Oregon Inlet north of our 
study area (Musick and McEachran 1972). 
The abundance of this crab in the South Atlantic Bight based 
on trawl efforts parallels this dietary occurrence (Wenner and Read 
1982). P. spinicarpus was the most common crab and fifth most 
common decapod collected between 38 and 188 m. Between 111 
and 183 m, P. spinicarpus represented 16% of the decapod catch. 
Ross (1982) reported it to be one of the most important crabs 
in the diet of the blueline tilefish ( Caulolatilus microps Goode and 
Bean), which co-occurs with snowy grouper. We also observed that 
P. spinicarpus was consumed by yellowedge grouper ( E . flavolimbatus 
Poey) (present study) and red porgy (Manooch 1977). Two other 
reef fishes, whitebone porgy ( Calamus leucosteus Jordan and Gil- 
bert) and vermilion snapper, ( Rhomboplites aurorubens) (Cuvier) also 
fed on P. spinicarpus in the Carolinas (South Carolina Wildlife 
Marine Resources Department and Duke University Marine Labora- 
tory 1982). 
Rathbun (1930:93), however, made this statement regarding P. 
