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 the DSL (Deep Scattering Layer) and the NBA (Near Bottom Aggregation), feeding mostly on decapod and euphausiid crustaceans, and playing a central role in carbon fluxes through meso- and bathypelagic ecosystems. Despite its potential importance in the deep trophic web ecosystem, the trophic ecology of Nemichthys scolopaceus is not well known. The aim of this study was to start to fill this knowledge gap. A total of 35 specimens of N. scolopaceus caught through bottom trawling in the Mediterranean Sea were analyzed in the laboratory for stomach content composition. As expected, mainly decapod crustaceans were found, in particular Plesionika martia, Pasiphaea multidentata, Funchalia woodwardi, and Robustosergia robusta species. The degree of digestion of prey in the stomachs was high in all cases. Our findings seem to confirm the specialist diet of Nemichthys scolopaceus based on shrimp-like crustaceans.

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.

Among Crustacea, Decapoda Brachyura represent a good candidate for studies on the dispersal capability of coastal benthos by means of larvae. One oceanographic cruise allowed us to describe larvae dispersal routes in the South Adriatic Sea thanks to a multidisciplinary approach. In May 2013 a swarm of zoeae (11 Brachyura taxa, mostly at first instar, with Xantho granulicarpus at 87%) was recorded in the neuston of the Italian side of the basin. Complementary collections of zooplankton, in the same cruise, demonstrated that Decapoda larvae were not abundant below the neuston and concentrated in the first 20-30 m surface layer, with which probably they drift together. The availability of four satellite-tracked surface drifters in the same area and period of the larvae presence, represented a possibility to discuss the geographic dispersal of larvae on the basis of the surface circulation in successive days. During the studied period, only one drifter crossed the south Adriatic passing from the Italian to the Balkan neritic area, employing about 40 days. The daily vertical migration of larvae suggest that they can only employ more time to cross the basin, subtracting and re-entering the surface moving waters. The actual genetic homogeneity of populations of many Brachyura coastal species on the opposite sides of the Adriatic Sea suggests the existence of a genetic connection which, however, should not rely exclusively upon larvae circulation and needs to be fueled by additional strategies of biological communication.