title: Ingestion of plastic marine debris by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) in the North Pacific Ocean.
abstract: Plastic marine debris affects species on most trophic levels, including pelagic fish. While plastic debris ingestion has been investigated in planktivorous fish in the North Pacific Ocean, little knowledge exists on piscivorous fish. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of occurrence and the composition of ingested plastic marine debris in longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), a piscivorous fish species captured in the Hawaii-based pelagic longline fishery. Nearly a quarter (47 of 192) of A. ferox sampled contained plastic marine debris, primarily in the form of plastic fragments (51.9%). No relationship existed between size (silhouette area) or amount of plastic marine debris ingested and morphometrics of A. ferox. Although A. ferox are not consumed by humans, they are common prey for fish commercially harvested for human consumption. Further research is needed to determine residence time of ingested plastic marine debris and behavior of toxins associated with plastic debris.
authors: Pacific Islands Regional Observer Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA. Lesley.Jantz@noaa.gov
authors: Lesley A
authors: LA
authors: Jantz
authors: Carey L
authors: CL
authors: Morishige
authors: Gregory L
authors: GL
authors: Bruland
authors: Christopher A
authors: CA
authors: Lepczyk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry*; D006254:Hawaii; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical