Summer diet of the Salvin's prion at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

• Main Authors: Gartshore, N.A., Steele, W.K., Klages, N.T.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: NISC (Pty) Ltd 2017
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*; Marion Island; Prince Edward Islands; Copepods
• Online Access: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/az/article/view/153478

Thirty-nine food samples were collected from Salvin’s prions Pachyptila salvini at sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands. The diet was dominated by crustaceans which formed 44,2% of the mass, 99,7% of prey items and occurred in 97,4% of the samples. Amphipods were of particular importance, the most abundant species being Themisto gaudichaudii. There was a marked absence of copepods which are an important element in the diets of both the dove P. desolata and broad-billed prions P. vittata. Prey included fish (41,9% by mass) and cephalopods. The results are compared with published data for dove, Salvin’s and broad-billed prions collected at other islands, and with data from Marion Island for blue petrels Halobaena caerulea.