Leopard Seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) in New Zealand Waters Predating on Chondrichthyans

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Krista van der Linde, Ingrid N. Visser, Rick Bout, Chris Lalas, Lara Shepherd, David Hocking, Brittany Finucci, Jim Fyfe, Matthew Pinkerton
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
• Subjects: chondrichthyans; diet; elephantfish; ghost shark; leopard seal; predation; Science; Q; General. Including nature conservation; geographical distribution; QH1-199.5; New Zealand; Hydrurga; Hydrurga leptonyx; Leopard Seal; Leopard Seals; spiny dogfish; Squalus acanthias
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.795358; https://doaj.org/article/c7e7463fe0894f4fb8afdf058507a0d5

Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are top-order predators that prey on a wide variety of species including crustaceans, cephalopods, fishes, birds, and pinnipeds. While multiple diet studies have been conducted worldwide, there are no previous accounts of leopard seals predating on chondrichthyans....