The role of the neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartrami, in the North Pacific pelagic food web

• Main Author: Seki, Michael P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (INPFC) 1993
• Subjects: Pacific; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/50788/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/50788/1/2965.pdf

Tropic relationships of neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartrami, are examnied during their summer occupation of waters within the Subarctic Frontal Zone and after their spawning migration south to subtropical waters. An examination of 174 stomachs from driftnet-caught O. bartrami near the Subarctic Boundary revealed many squid with empty stomachs and a high incidence of cannibalism. Squid with stomach contents fed exclusively on fishes (mainly micronektonic mesopelagic myctophids and stomii-formes) and other cephalopods. No significant difference was found between the diets (nor the degree of cannibalism) of O. bartrami when the stomach contents of squid taken near the Subarctic Boundary were compared with those of mature females collected during the winter in the subtropics. Stomach contents are also described for blue sharks, Prionance glauca, captured by surface longlines in the North Pacific Transition Zone. Their most important diet items were myctophids, small gonatid squids, and O. bartrami. Ommastrephes bartrami, however, appeared important only among the large sharks cuaght. Results of these diet studies are discussed together with a review of pertinent literature to clarify the role of O. bartrami in the North Pacific pelagic food web.