Natural mortality is a poorly known aspect of fisheries biology, despite its importance in stock assessments and population analysis. Of the many potential sources of mortality and morbidity in fishes, the effect of internal parasites is perhaps the least studied. Intestinal parasites may inhibit nutrient uptake as well as stimulate an inflammatory response in fish. Intestinal parasites of several tropical pelagic elasmobranchs, including silky and night sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis and C. signatus), the pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea), and mesopelagic fishes including sailfin lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), oilfish (Ruvettus pretiosus), snake mackerel (Gempylus serpens), escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum), and Atlantic pomfret (Brama brama) are described from the South Atlantic Bight in the western North Atlantic. Parasites recovered include cestodes, trematodes, acanthocephalans and nematodes. Total gastrointestinal parasite loads were compared against the size (both length and weight) of the host, showing no correlation in pelagic elasmobranchs and a small correlation in mesopelagic teleosts. Sex and parasite loads were also compared for elasmobranchs showing a weak correlation. Capture seasons were also compared, and other results of this research showed that the parasites in this study are not host-species specific. The observed parasite classes and total helminth loads are the first described for these five mesopelagic fishes and will serve as a baseline for further studies. Future research is suggested to ascertain if commercially valuable, co-occurring, co-existing pelagic fishes may also be at risk for similar intestinal parasite fauna and burdens.

Both Elasmobranchii and Acipenseriformes have a spiral intestine, developed by the intestine folding inward and twisting upon itself. A comparative analysis of the digestive system of examples of Subclass Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) to Order Acipenseriformes (sturgeon and paddlefish) was conducted through gross dissection and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Urobatis jamaicensis, Acipenser baerii, and Polyodon spathula were used due to accessibility. Gross dissection analysis yielded that the acipenserids have a columnar spiral valve with 8 infoldings, and U. jamaicensis has a posterior spiral valve with 13 infoldings. SEM analysis showed angiogenesis, where visible, occurred inversely with age in all species. More venous vessels were present than arterial vessels in the outer layers of the intestine, the muscularis and serosa, while the majority of the arterioles were found in the mucosa and submucosa. The vascularization pattern of the spiral valve in U. jamaicensis showed a diamond branching pattern on the surface anteriorly and posteriorly with a lateral drainage system at the midsection. Only the lateral drainage system was found in A. baerii and P. spathula. The daughter arterioles and venules to the intraintestinal artery and intraintestinal vein coincided with the turns present in the spiral valve of each species. This study suggests A. baerii and P. spathula are sister taxa and do not share a direct common ancestor with U. jamaicensis based on similarities and differences between the spiral valve vasculature.