| Summary: | Poster.-- ICES Annual Science Conference, 21-29 September 1995, Aalborg, Denmark Stomach contents of 65 small cetaceans stranded on the Galician coast (NW Spain) from April 1993 to November 1994 were analysed. The species were: 41 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), 7 long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melaena), 5 bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops mmcatus), 5 Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), 4 harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and 3 striped dolphins (Stenella coernleoalba). Additionally, one minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) stornach was also examined. BIue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and scad (Trachlurus trachurus) were the main food items in common dolphin stomachs. The harbour porpoise ate mainly sandeels (Ammodytidae) and Trisopterus spp., but also cephalopods such as cuttlefish (Sepia sp.). The striped dolphin had eaten mainly scad (Trachurus trachurus) and the sand-smelts (Atherina sp.). The bottle-nose dolphin stomach examined contained mainly hake (Merluccius merluccius), blue whiting and Trisopterus spp. Of the remaining cetaceans, the Risso's dolphin and the long-finned pilot whale had eaten only cephalopods, mainly the octopus, Eledone cirrhosa and Octopus vulgaris. Finally the single minke whale stomach examined contained only mackerel (Scomber scombrus) bones and sandeel otoliths. Most of the cetacean species studied had been feeding in coastal waters. For example many of the common dolphins, normally thought of as living in offshore waters had been feeding on gobies which are inshore fish. The striped dolphin was the only species taking oceanic squids. Diets were broadly similar to those found in Scottish sampies collected during the same period although certain species e.g. sand-smelt (Atherina sp.) and sardines (Sardina pilchardus) were not found in Scottish samples. These results are consistent with the opportunistic feeding suggested for these species. Many species eaten are of importance to human fisheries but there are currently insufficient data to adequately quantify ...
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