Few geographically local comprehensive studies on deep-sea parasites have been done. A recent study of parasitism in midwater fishes conflicts with broad generalizations previously advanced. Surveys of demersal fishes and macrofaunal invertebrates in the North Atlantic indicate 1) there is little evidence of coherence and continuity of faunal zones around the ocean basin and 2) that the community concept should be abandoned because faunal assemblages only persist on a local scale. Parasitological evidence supports this view. The implications are that the parasite species distributions and character of parasite faunas will vary according to the distribution of the fishes and local faunal assemblages.