Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L.
In the austral summers of 1986 and 1988–1989, 51 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Husvik, South Georgia (54°10′S; 36°43′W), were stomach lavaged after chemical immobilization. Only cephalopod remains were retrieved, including 1070 lower beaks that were identified and measured. In total...
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Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1992
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Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/1/2229.pdf https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143 |
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ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:36956 2023-05-15T13:43:38+02:00 Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. Rodhouse, P. G. Arnbom, T. R. Fedak, M. A. Yeatman, J. Murray, A. W. A. 1992 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/1/2229.pdf https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143 en eng Canadian Science Publishing https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/1/2229.pdf Rodhouse, P. G., Arnbom, T. R., Fedak, M. A., Yeatman, J. and Murray, A. W. A. (1992) Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 70 (5). pp. 1007-1015. DOI 10.1139/z92-143 <https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143>. doi:10.1139/z92-143 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Article PeerReviewed 1992 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143 2023-04-07T15:31:39Z In the austral summers of 1986 and 1988–1989, 51 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Husvik, South Georgia (54°10′S; 36°43′W), were stomach lavaged after chemical immobilization. Only cephalopod remains were retrieved, including 1070 lower beaks that were identified and measured. In total these were estimated to represent a wet weight of 187.8 kg. Fourteen species of squid from 11 families and 2 species of octopod from 1 family were present. The most important species overall were the squids Psychroteuthis glacialis in terms of numerical abundance (33.7%) and Moroteuthis knipovitchi in terms of estimated biomass (31.2%). The remaining biomass was mainly comprised of the five large muscular squids, Kondakovia longimana (24.0%), P. glacialis (15.4%), Martialia hyadesi (11.2%), Alluroteuthis antarcticus (10.8%), and Gonatus antarcticus (3.6%). Larger seals of both sexes fed on a wider variety of cephalopod species than smaller seals, with large males taking the greatest diversity. Between the two summers of the study there were some changes in the relative importance of the various cephalopod species consumed; in particular, in 1988–1989 M. knipovitchi and M. hyadesi were less important and P. glacialis was more important. The taxa and size of cephalopods taken by southern elephant seals at South Georgia are almost identical to those taken by the grey-headed albatross (Diomedea chrysostoma), but the relative proportions are quite different. The biogeography of the cephalopods eaten suggests that southern elephant seals sampled at South Georgia do not forage to the north of the Antarctic Polar Front but probably travel southwards towards the Antarctic continent or Peninsula. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic antarcticus Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Antarctic The Antarctic Austral Canadian Journal of Zoology 70 5 1007 1015 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
op_collection_id |
ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
In the austral summers of 1986 and 1988–1989, 51 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Husvik, South Georgia (54°10′S; 36°43′W), were stomach lavaged after chemical immobilization. Only cephalopod remains were retrieved, including 1070 lower beaks that were identified and measured. In total these were estimated to represent a wet weight of 187.8 kg. Fourteen species of squid from 11 families and 2 species of octopod from 1 family were present. The most important species overall were the squids Psychroteuthis glacialis in terms of numerical abundance (33.7%) and Moroteuthis knipovitchi in terms of estimated biomass (31.2%). The remaining biomass was mainly comprised of the five large muscular squids, Kondakovia longimana (24.0%), P. glacialis (15.4%), Martialia hyadesi (11.2%), Alluroteuthis antarcticus (10.8%), and Gonatus antarcticus (3.6%). Larger seals of both sexes fed on a wider variety of cephalopod species than smaller seals, with large males taking the greatest diversity. Between the two summers of the study there were some changes in the relative importance of the various cephalopod species consumed; in particular, in 1988–1989 M. knipovitchi and M. hyadesi were less important and P. glacialis was more important. The taxa and size of cephalopods taken by southern elephant seals at South Georgia are almost identical to those taken by the grey-headed albatross (Diomedea chrysostoma), but the relative proportions are quite different. The biogeography of the cephalopods eaten suggests that southern elephant seals sampled at South Georgia do not forage to the north of the Antarctic Polar Front but probably travel southwards towards the Antarctic continent or Peninsula. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rodhouse, P. G. Arnbom, T. R. Fedak, M. A. Yeatman, J. Murray, A. W. A. |
spellingShingle |
Rodhouse, P. G. Arnbom, T. R. Fedak, M. A. Yeatman, J. Murray, A. W. A. Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
author_facet |
Rodhouse, P. G. Arnbom, T. R. Fedak, M. A. Yeatman, J. Murray, A. W. A. |
author_sort |
Rodhouse, P. G. |
title |
Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
title_short |
Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
title_full |
Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
title_fullStr |
Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. |
title_sort |
cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, mirounga leonina l. |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1992 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/1/2229.pdf https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Austral |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Austral |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic antarcticus Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic antarcticus Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/36956/1/2229.pdf Rodhouse, P. G., Arnbom, T. R., Fedak, M. A., Yeatman, J. and Murray, A. W. A. (1992) Cephalopod prey of the southern elephant seal, Mirounga leonina L. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 70 (5). pp. 1007-1015. DOI 10.1139/z92-143 <https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143>. doi:10.1139/z92-143 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-143 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
70 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1007 |
op_container_end_page |
1015 |
_version_ |
1766191417297731584 |