Cephalopod Beaks from the Stomachs of Two Northern Bottlenosed Whales ( Hyperoodon Ampullatus )

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Clarke, Malcolm R., Kristensen, Thomas K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1980
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; hyperoodon ampullatus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s002531540002419x; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S002531540002419X

This is the first detailed analysis of cephalopod beaks from the stomach of a northern bottlenosed whale, Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster, 1770). The digestive action of many predators barely affects the chitinous beaks of cephalopods and some cetaceans accumulate the beaks in considerable numbers in their stomachs. The present beaks are clean and unbroken. Identification of cephalopod beaks from stomachs of predators such as sperm whales (see Clarke, 1977), seals (Clarke & Trillmich, 1980) and albatrosses (Clarke, Croxall & Prince, 1980) throws considerable light on the biology and relative ecological importance of the species of cephalopods concerned as well as providing useful information on the diet of the predators.