During a series of submersible surveys of the Shiribeshi Seamount, northern Sea of Japan, by the remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Dolphin 3K’ and the human-occupied vehicle (HOV) ‘Shinkai 2000’ in July 2001, dense patches of golden skate eggs were observed. Given the lack of information for this species, an analysis was performed to estimate the abundance of the eggs and to ascertain if any patterns could be determined from the distribution of eggs on the sea-floor as recorded by the ROV and HOV video cameras. Eggs, including some with viable embryos, were found on only one of four ROV benthic transect surveys and one crewed submersible dive in the same location. The site where eggs were laid was relatively small and appeared to have been revisited through time. This work is part of an ongoing collaborative effort between East Stroudsburg University and the Marine Biodiversity Research Programme at the Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology to characterize the midwater and benthic deep-sea faunas around Japan.

Between September 1987 and February 1988, Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella (Peters) at Heard Island fed mainly on fish with an average 95.2% of scats in monthly collections containing fish remains. Pelagic myctophids constituted more than 50% of fish taken by fur seals at the beginning of the summer season and again at the end when there was an influx of non-breeding male seals. During the middle period from October to December, fish from the surrounding shelf area comprised the bulk of the diet. These included various benthic nototheniid species, the bentho-pelagic ice fish Champsocephalus gunnari Lönnberg and skate (Bathyraja spp.), the latter being found in over 60% of scats in October and November. The population of Antarctic fur seals at Heard Island is increasing at about the same rate as at South Georgia. There the increase is thought to be due to the high availability of krill E. superba, but in the present study no euphausiid remains were found, so the increasing population at Heard Island has been supported on a diet of fish. Whether this population increase can be sustained in future on a diet of fish is arguable. Trial fishing around Heard Island indicates that one of the major dietary items of the seals (C. gunnari) is of probable commercial importance and therefore any plans for the establishment of a fishery on Heard Island grounds must be considered in this light.