A total of 668 specimens representing 18 species of meso‐ and bathypelagic fishes collected from the western North Atlantic were examined for parasites. Seventeen species and 39.1% of the specimens harboured at least one type of parasite. The highest number of parasite taxa recovered from a single fish species was seven. Host species had overall infection prevalences ranging from 10.0 to 88.9% of the specimens examined. Cestodes were most common (22.8% of all specimens examined), followed by fungi (6.6%), nematodes (6.1%) and digenetic trematodes (4.9%). Mesopelagic fishes showed a greater prevalence of infection (49.1%) than bathypelagic fishes (28.9%). Most parasites recovered were immature; however, based on the presence of adult and postlarval stage parasites, definitive and second intermediate host status is suggested for at least three fish species(Nemichthys scolopaceus, Nessorhamphus ingolfianusandEurypharynx pelecanoides). The presence of the cestodeNybeliniaandAnisakis‐lypenematodes among a number of host species may have been due to predation on the euphausiidNematoscelis, which was found in the stomachs of all host species infected by these two parasite taxa. Higher overall infection prevalences among host species were found than have been previously reported for mid‐water fishes and it is possible that this may be a function of near‐bottom presence of the fishes over the continental slope. It is suggested that the low prevalence of parasites within meso‐ and bathypelagic fishes when compared to benthic and shallow‐water species reflects the lower overall energy of, and reduced probability of host‐to‐host transfer in, the deep‐sea