Trophic Ecology of Slender Snipe Eel <i>Nemichthys Scolopaceus</i> Richardson, 1848 (Anguilliformes: Nemichthyidae) in the Central Mediterranean Sea

The slender snipe eel Nemichthys scolopaceus Richardson, 1848 is cosmopolitan in tropical and temperate seas, inhabiting the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zone between 200 and 1000 m depth. It is known to be an active predator in DSL (Deep Scattering Layer) and NBA (Near Bottom Assemblage), feeding mostly decapods and euphausiids crustaceans, and playing a central role in carbon fluxes through meso and bathypelagic ecosystems. Despite its potential importance in deep trophic web ecosystem, Nemichthys scolopaceus has been little investigated about its trophic ecology. The aim of this paper is start to fill this knowledge gap. A total of 35 specimens of N. scolopaceus caught through bottom trawling in Mediterranean Sea were analyzed in laboratory for stomach content. As expected, mainly decapod crustaceans were found, in particular Plesionika martia, Pasiphaea multidentata, Funchalia woodwardi, Robustosergia robusta species. The degree of digestion observed was in all cases rather high. Our findings seem to confirm the specialist diet of Nemichthys scolopaceus based on shrimp-like crustaceans.