Snowy Grouper Feeding 
113 
shelf collections of M. quinquespinosa in 120-160 m were reported 
by Cerame-Vivas and Gray (1966). 
Majidae — Stenocionops spinimana was the sixth most abundant 
decapod prey, with nine specimens collected. Two male (34 and 
36.5 mm CW) and seven female (34-56 mm CW) Stenocionops 
spinimana were taken from grouper caught south of Cape Lookout 
in 155-194 m. Collections were made on four trips in June, July, 
and September. 
Wenner and Read (1982) reported only 18 isolated specimens 
from 496 trawl tows in the South Atlantic Bight in 60-170 m. 
Rathbun (1925) reported the species as deep as 227 m in the vi- 
cinity of our fishing area. 
Stenorynchus seticornis was represented by one specimen 
obtained from a snowy grouper taken at 154 m in the primary 
study area in May 1985. The adult female (20 cm CW) had been 
swallowed intact and was still fresh when collected. 
In contrast, this species was the second most abundant crab 
collected by Wenner and Read (1982) across a wide depth range 
(17-188 m) in the South Atlantic Bight. Off North Carolina the 
species has been collected at a variety of hard bottom and reef 
sites at inner-, mid-, and outer-shelf stations (to 100 m) (McCloskey 
1968, Vernberg and Vernberg 1970, South Carolina Wildlife Marine 
Resource Department and Duke University Marine Laboratory 1982). 
In addition to being one of only two crab species reported 
from snowy grouper in the North Carolina BLM study (Duke Uni- 
versity Marine Laboratory 1982), S. seticornis has been reported off 
North Carolina in the stomachs of at least two other reef fishes: 
white grunt ( Haemulon plumieri) (Lacepede and black sea bass (South 
Carolina Wildlife Marine Resource Department and Duke University 
Marine Laboratory 1982). Randall (1967) also reported S. seticornis 
from three other epinpheline groupers: rock hind ( E . adscensionis) 
(Osbeck), red hind ( E . guttatus) (Linnaeus), and Nassau grouper ( E . 
striatus) (Bloch). Visual studies of S. seticornis by Barr (1975) in 
the Virgin Islands indicated that the species is an opportunistic 
detritivore. It is most abundant on reef edges and is normally seen 
in greatest numbers at dusk and at night, when it moves to upper 
reef areas to feed. 
Nibilia antilocapra was found once in a snowy grouper stom- 
ach taken in the primary study area from 137 to 146 m in August 
1985. The individual (25 mm CW) was swallowed whole. 
Cancridae — Cancer irroratus and C. borealis were the largest 
crustacean prey. C. irroratus was more prevalent in samples (n = 
8) than C. borealis (n = 2). Both prey were taken only from large 
