The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland
The stomach contents of 221 sperm whales were examined at the Icelandic whaling station between 1977 and 1981. Evidence of at least eight species of fish and 22 species of cephalopod was found, together with an assortment of foreign bodies including rock fragments and fishing nets. Fish remains were...
Published in: | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1986
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400048426 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400048426 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0025315400048426 2024-06-16T07:40:25+00:00 The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland Martin, A.R. Clarke, M. R. 1986 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400048426 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400048426 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 66, issue 4, page 779-790 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 journal-article 1986 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400048426 2024-05-22T12:56:19Z The stomach contents of 221 sperm whales were examined at the Icelandic whaling station between 1977 and 1981. Evidence of at least eight species of fish and 22 species of cephalopod was found, together with an assortment of foreign bodies including rock fragments and fishing nets. Fish remains were found in 87% and cephalopods in 68% of the sperm whale stomachs in this area, but quantification of dietary input is complicated by differential rates of digestion and variation in the retention of indigestible remains in the stomach. Prey species are benthic or pelagic in habit and are caught by the whale in waters from 400 m to at least 1200 m in depth. One fish, the lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus , forms a major part of the diet. Ninety-four per cent of cephalopods are oceanic and neutrally buoyant and 84 % of these are ammoniacal. Cranchiids contribute 57% by number and an estimated 25% of the weight, and histioteuthids 26% by number and 38 % of the weight of cephalopods eaten. Three species offish and two of cephalopod have not been previously recorded in sperm whale diets. Comparison with an earlier study shows that the diet is essentially stable over a 14-year period. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Iceland Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale Cambridge University Press Greenland Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 66 4 779 790 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
The stomach contents of 221 sperm whales were examined at the Icelandic whaling station between 1977 and 1981. Evidence of at least eight species of fish and 22 species of cephalopod was found, together with an assortment of foreign bodies including rock fragments and fishing nets. Fish remains were found in 87% and cephalopods in 68% of the sperm whale stomachs in this area, but quantification of dietary input is complicated by differential rates of digestion and variation in the retention of indigestible remains in the stomach. Prey species are benthic or pelagic in habit and are caught by the whale in waters from 400 m to at least 1200 m in depth. One fish, the lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus , forms a major part of the diet. Ninety-four per cent of cephalopods are oceanic and neutrally buoyant and 84 % of these are ammoniacal. Cranchiids contribute 57% by number and an estimated 25% of the weight, and histioteuthids 26% by number and 38 % of the weight of cephalopods eaten. Three species offish and two of cephalopod have not been previously recorded in sperm whale diets. Comparison with an earlier study shows that the diet is essentially stable over a 14-year period. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Martin, A.R. Clarke, M. R. |
spellingShingle |
Martin, A.R. Clarke, M. R. The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
author_facet |
Martin, A.R. Clarke, M. R. |
author_sort |
Martin, A.R. |
title |
The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
title_short |
The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
title_full |
The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
title_fullStr |
The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Diet of Sperm Whales ( Physeter Macrocephalus) Captured Between Iceland and Greenland |
title_sort |
diet of sperm whales ( physeter macrocephalus) captured between iceland and greenland |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1986 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400048426 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315400048426 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Iceland Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Greenland Iceland Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale |
op_source |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom volume 66, issue 4, page 779-790 ISSN 0025-3154 1469-7769 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315400048426 |
container_title |
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom |
container_volume |
66 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
779 |
op_container_end_page |
790 |
_version_ |
1802007327978553344 |