Benthic Feeding and Diet Partitioning in Red Sea Mesopelagic Fish Resolved Through DNA Metabarcoding and ROV Footage.

ABSTRACT: Mesopelagic fish are among the most abundant vertebrates on Earth and play a crucial role in carbon sequestration through their daily vertical migration. However, their dietary ecology remains poorly understood, especially in the Red Sea, limiting our grasp of their trophic interactions and ecological roles. This study investigates the dietary composition of two common mesopelagic fish species in the Red Sea, the lanternfish (Benthosema taxa) and the endemic lightfish (Vinciguerria mabahiss), using DNA metabarcoding of the mitochondrial COI marker, supplemented by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video observations. Our findings show that V. mabahiss exhibits higher prey diversity compared to Benthosema taxa, suggesting a more generalist feeding strategy. Both sp

SUBMITTER: Lim KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11884935 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature