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The diet of Antarctic fur seals during the late autumn and early winter around Heard Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2004

K. Green ,
R. Williams  and
H.R. Burton
K. Green
Affiliation:
Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia
R. Williams
Affiliation:
Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia
H.R. Burton
Affiliation:
Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, Australia
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Abstract

The diet of Antarctic fur seals around Heard Island was investigated in May and June 1990. Fish predominated in samples, occurring in an average of 93.4% of droppings. Otoliths from pelagic fish (mainly myctophids) constituted over 96% of all otoliths. There was an increase in the occurrence of squid from 3.4% in summer 1987/88 to 49.3% in the present study. For the fish species Gymnoscopelus nicholsi (Gilbert), 10.3% of otoliths recovered from scats were considered suitable for measurement compared with 30.5% from scats at Heard Island in 1987/88; this greater level of erosion provides further evidence that the seals were foraging further afield. The study demonstrates a significant difference between summer 1987/88 and winter 1990.

Keywords

Arctocephalus gazellaChampsocephalusGymnoscopelusElectronasquidsubantarctic
Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , December 1991 , pp. 359 - 361
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1991

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