Large aggregations of pelagic squid near the ocean surface at the Antarctic Polar Front, and their capture by grey-headed albatrosses

• Published in: ICES Journal of Marine Science
• Main Authors: Rodhouse, Paul G., Boyle, Peter R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2010
• Subjects: Ecology; Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; Antarc*; Antarctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsq069; http://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article-pdf/67/7/1432/29138062/fsq069.pdf

Abstract Rodhouse, P. G., and Boyle, P. R. 2010. Large aggregations of pelagic squid near the ocean surface at the Antarctic Polar Front, and their capture by grey-headed albatrosses. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1432–1435. Satellite-tracked squid predators and fish-finding acoustics were used to locate squid concentrations at the Antarctic Polar Front, then to sample them with a midwater trawl. Near-surface hauls were dominated by the squid Martialia hyadesi similar in size to those fed to grey-headed albatross chicks. The characteristics of the squid and their proximity to the surface suggest that the birds locate squid concentrations by olfaction and catch them by plunging.