Ecology of Urophycis tenuis
 
Main Ref. Pauly, D., 1989
Remarks Found on soft, muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope. It is mostly found at 180 m (Ref. 4587); prefers 5-11°C (Ref. 5951). Mature fish migrate inshore in the northern Gulf of Maine in summer, disperse in autumn, and move into deepest areas in winter (Ref. 4587). Feeds on fishes like clupeids (especially Atlantic herring) and gadids (mainly silver hake, red hake and longfin hake; Atlantic mackerel, argentines and wrymouth); crustaceans (particularly pandalid shrimps). Parasites of the species include 2 protozoans, 3 myxosporidians, 1 trematode, 1 nematode (sealworm, Phocanema decipiens) and 1 copepod (Ref. 5951). See also Ref. 8999.

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Marine - Neritic Marine - Oceanic Brackishwater Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies
  • supra-littoral zone
  • littoral zone
  • sublittoral zone
  • epipelagic
  • mesopelagic
  • epipelagic
  • abyssopelagic
  • hadopelagic
  • estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas
  • mangroves
  • marshes/swamps
  • rivers/streams
  • lakes/ponds
  • caves
  • exclusively in caves
Highighted items on the list are where Urophycis tenuis may be found.

Habitat

Substrate Soft Bottom
Substrate Ref.
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.
Associations schooling; shoaling;
Associated with
Association remarks Survey data indicate that mature adult females aggregate on the southwest Grand Bank slope in spring and first-year juveniles settle on the southern, shallow Grand Bank nursery in autumn (Ref. 94937). Depth distribution varies by age and season; individuals of all ages tend to move inshore or shoalward in summer, dispersing to deeper areas in winter. Canadian Atlantic population seem to spawn sporadically, but there is a tendency for mass seasonal spawning in the SW Gulf of St. Lawrence in summer; some seasonal movement away from Prince Edward Island in winter (Ref. 86779).
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref. Pauly, D., 1989
Feeding habit variable
Feeding habit Ref. Pauly, D., 1989
Trophic Level(s)
Estimation method Original sample Unfished population Remark
Troph s.e. Troph s.e.
From diet composition 4.27 0.54 4.23 0.74 Troph of juv./adults from 2 studies.
From individual food items 3.27 0.46 Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref. Langton, R.W. and R.E. Bowman, 1980
(e.g. 346)
(e.g. cnidaria)
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