The abyssal seafloor makes up three quarters of the ocean floor, and it is generally characterized as a food-limited habitat with low numbers of megafauna, particularly fishes. Baited camera observations from three abyssal seamount summits in the equatorial Pacific challenge this idea. On each of two deployments at the southernmost seamount, over 100 synaphobranchid eels (Ilyophis arx) were recorded feeding on standard bait (1 kg mackerel). This is the highest number of fishes per kg of bait ever recorded below 1000 m, including observations from large organic falls such as cetacean and shark carcasses. It is also the highest number that has ever been recorded at carrion of any kind or size at abyssal depths. We suggest an abyssal ‘seamount effect’ may be responsible, highlighting the potential importance of seamounts in structuring abyssal communities.

深海海底占海床的四分之三，通常被认为是食物受限的栖息地，大型动物特别是鱼类数量少。在赤道太平洋的三个深海海山峰上，诱饵相机的观测结果对这一想法提出了挑战。在最南端的海山上的两次部署中的每一个上，都有超过100个滑突水e鳗（Ilyophis arx）记录为使用标准诱饵（1千克鲭鱼）喂养。这是有史以来每公斤诱饵中1000公斤以下鱼类的最高记录，其中包括鲸类动物和鲨鱼尸体等大型有机瀑布的观测结果。这也是有史以来在深渊中任何种类或大小的腐肉上记录的最高数量。我们建议深海“海山效应”可能是造成这种现象的原因，这突显了海山在构建深海群落中的潜在重要性。