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John Dodrill et al. 
in May 1985 at 146 m. The boarfish is an outer shelf-upper slope 
species found over hard bottom with a tropical-subtropical distri- 
bution (Robins et al. 1986). A. capros is a common component of 
the ichthhyofauna found in depths of 100-200 m from Cape Look- 
out southward (Wenner et al. 1979; North Carolina Division of Ma- 
rine Fisheries, Cruise Reports, R/V Dan Moore , Cruise Number 19, 
Station Number 3332, 1-18 November 1977). Although trawl results 
and FAO species description profiles (Fischer 1978) suggest the species 
might be available to snowy grouper in small aggregations, deep 
reef submersible transects off Fort Pierce, Florida, and Charleston, 
South Carolina, reported this species either in pairs or singly, closely 
associated with rocky substrate (R. G. Gilmore, Harbor Branch Founda- 
tion, Fort Pierce, Florida, personal communication; R. S. Jones, Cruise 
Reports, R/V Johnson, Cruise Number J-43 (III) 31 July-10 August, 
Cruise Number J- 158 (VI) 3-19 September 1983). 
One longspine snipefish ( Macrorhamphosus scolopax) (Linnaeus) 
(137 mm TL, intact), was collected on 29 April 1985 south of 
Cape Hatteras in the secondary study area in 201-238 m. Longspine 
snipefish are demersal inhabitants of the outer shelf-upper continen- 
tal slope associated primarily with rocky substrate. They also reside 
over sand, where they have been taken in trawls (Fischer 1978). 
They are a temperate species with a probable worldwide distribution 
(Bigelow and Schroeder 1953, Hoese and Moore 1977, Fischer 1978, 
Robins et al. 1986). Submersible transects off Charleston, South 
Carolina on deep reefs in 180-220 m suggest that snipefish are 
available to grouper as scattered, non-schooling individuals that seek 
shelter in the reef or among attached hydroids (R. S. Jones, Cruise 
Reports, R/V Johnson. Cruise Number J-143 (III) 31 July-10 Au- 
gust 1982). 
Benthic Fishes — Five ophichthis eels (165-272 mm TL) were 
recovered from snowy grouper stomachs; two were tentatively iden- 
tified as Myrophis punctatus Liitken. Ophichthid eels are common 
prey of groupers and snappers (Robins et al. 1986). One ophichthid 
eel (252 mm TL), swallowed whole, was taken from a snowy grou- 
per caught 29 June 1985 in 194 m SSE of Cape Lookout. The 
snake eel had penetrated tail first through the grouper’s stomach, 
suggesting an augering motion during its death throes. The posterior 
half of the eel was encysted in the grouper’s body cavity whereas 
the anterior portion in the stomach was being digested. Penetration 
by an ophichthid eel through a grouper’s stomach has been re- 
ported by Breder and Nigrelli (1934), mentioned by Robins et al. 
(1986), and noted in sea bass ( Centropristis sp.) by Link (1980) 
and Breder (1953). 
