Diet quality and season affect physiology and energetic priorities of captive Steller sea lions during and after periods of nutritional stress ...

• Main Author: Jeanniard Du Dot, Tiphaine
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2008
• Subjects: Pacific; Theragra chalcogramma
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0066271; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0066271

The ability of animals to contend with unpredictable seasonal shifts in quality and quantity of prey has implications for the conservation of wildlife. Steller sea lions(Eumetopias jubatus) were subjected to different quantities and qualities of food to determine what physiological and endocrine responses would occur and whether they differed between season (summer and winter) or diet (high-lipid Pacific herring Clupeapallasi vs. low-lipid Walleye Pollock Theragra chalcogramma). Eight females were divided among two groups. One (Group H) were fed herring for 28 days (baseline), then received a reduced caloric intake for a subsequent 28 days (restriction) to induce a 15%loss of body mass. The second (Group P) were also fed herring during the baseline followed by a reduced isocaloric diet of pollock during the restriction. Both groups subsequently returned to their baseline intake of herring for a 28-day controlled re-feeding. The two groups of sea lions lost identical mass during restrictions independent of ...