New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts

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Short communication

Beetles in the diet of six species of deep-sea fish

M. R. L. Jones

Earth and Oceanic Sciences Research Institute
Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006
Auckland 1142, New Zealand
majones@aut.ac.nz

R. A. B. Leschen

New Zealand Arthropod Collection
Landcare Research
Private Bag 92170
Auckland 1142, New Zealand
leschenr@landcare.cri.nz

Abstract Four scarab beetles (Acrossidius tasmaniae) and two unidentified weevils were recovered from the guts of a single individual of six deep-sea fishes trawled from depths of 326–418 m, c. 30–40 km off the Wairarapa coast, North Island, New Zealand. These constitute the first records of terrestrial arthropods in the diet of deep-sea fishes from the New Zealand region. Possible reasons describing how these terrestrial beetles came to be eaten by these fishes are discussed.

Keywords   Acrossidius tasmaniae; beetles; deep-sea; diet; scampi

Z07060; Online publication date 18 July 2008; Received 10 December 2007; accepted 6 April 2008

New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 2008, Vol. 35: 251–253
0301–4223/08/3503–0251 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2008

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