ARCTIC Maximal Feeding Depth of Walruses
ABSTRACT. Walruses (Odobenus rosmurus) feed mainly on benthic invertebrates in waters less than 80 m deep, and they have been presumed to be incapable of diving to greater depths. Reported here are seven walruses whose stomachs contained significant amounts of benthic sediments and food, some of whi...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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1988
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.502.7567 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic41-3-239.pdf |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT. Walruses (Odobenus rosmurus) feed mainly on benthic invertebrates in waters less than 80 m deep, and they have been presumed to be incapable of diving to greater depths. Reported here are seven walruses whose stomachs contained significant amounts of benthic sediments and food, some of which must have been ingested in waters more than 100 m deep. Walruses may be able to dive to depths much greater than 100 m. but they usually have little reason to do so, since their benthic prey are most abundant in shallower waters. Key words: walrus, Odobenus, diving, feeding, Bering Sea RÉSUMÉ. Les morses (Odobenus rosmurus) mangent surtout des benthiques invertébrés dans les eaux qui ne dépassent pas 80 m de profondeur et l'on suppose qu'ils sont incapables de plonger plus bas. Nous rendons compte ici de la prise de sept morses ayant dans leurs estomacs des quantités importantes d'aliments et de sédiments benthiques, dont une certaine quantité a dO être ingéke h une profondeur de plus de 100 m. Les morses sont |
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