0 0 0 ▁meters ▁depth ▁regularly , ▁which ▁suggests ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁a ▁regular ▁form ▁of ▁food ▁fall ▁in ▁areas ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁abund ant . ▁Many ▁e el p outs ▁( Z o arc idae ) ▁were ▁found ▁surrounding ▁the ▁wh ale ▁sh ark ▁with ▁some ▁evidence ▁of ▁direct ▁feed ing ▁as ▁bore hol es ▁were ▁observed ▁on ▁the ▁car c ass . ▁Another ▁theory ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁e el p outs ▁were ▁waiting ▁for ▁their ▁main ▁pre y , ▁am ph ip ods ▁and ▁other ▁small ▁b enth ic ▁animals . ▁The ▁three ▁ray s ▁found ▁were ▁at ▁different ▁stages ▁of ▁decomposition , ▁leading ▁to ▁varying ▁ass embl ages ▁found ▁surrounding ▁the ▁individuals . ▁A ▁higher ▁abund ance ▁of ▁sc av engers ▁was ▁found ▁surrounding ▁the ▁more ▁int act ▁individuals , ▁including ▁sc av engers ▁typical ▁of ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁like ▁h ag fish . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁least ▁int act ▁individual ▁a ▁b acter ial ▁mat ▁was ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁zone ▁of ▁en rich ment , ▁but ▁no ▁cl ams ▁or ▁muss els ▁typical ▁of ▁this ▁environment ▁( i . e . ▁wh ale ▁falls ) ▁were ▁seen . ▁ ▁Over all , ▁the ▁four ▁car c ass es ▁observed ▁showed ▁no ▁evidence ▁of ▁pro gression ▁past ▁the ▁sc aven ger ▁stage . ▁The ▁size ▁limitations , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁phys i ological ▁differences ▁between ▁large ▁el asm ob ranch s ▁and ▁wh ales ▁more ▁than ▁likely ▁causes ▁the ▁changes ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁communities ▁surrounding ▁their ▁respective ▁car c ass