Author:
Childerhouse Simon,Dix Bruce,Gales Nick
Abstract
Scat and regurgitate samples (n = 206) from
New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) were
collected at the Auckland Islands between December 1994 and February 1997.
Most (82%) samples were collected during three summer seasons while the
remainder (18%) were collected during a single winter season.
Thirty-three taxa were identified from 3523 prey items. The six most abundant
prey species accounted for 90% of all prey items. The two most
numerically abundant prey species, octopus
(Enteroctopus zelandicus) and opalfish
(Hemerocoetes species) made up almost 50% of
total prey items. Other important prey species included lobster krill
(Munida gregaria), hoki
(Macruronus novaezelandiae), oblique-banded rattail
(Coelorhynchus aspercephalus), and salps
(Pyrosoma atlanticum). New Zealand fur seals
(Arctocephalus forsteri) and seabirds were also
identified in samples. New Zealand sea lions are generalist feeders utilising
a wide variety of prey items, with fish comprising the most common taxa
(59%) numerically and both cephalopods (21%) and crustacea
(15%) forming lesser, but still important, parts of the diet. Prey taxa
identified indicate that New Zealand sea lions are utilising a wide variety of
benthic, demersal and pelagic species ranging from the inter-tidal zone to
waters deeper than 300 m. New Zealand sea lions at the Auckland Islands target
different prey species to New Zealand sea lions at other locations although
they have broadly consistent prey types, with fish as the major taxa. There is
only a small overlap of New Zealand sea lion prey species with commercially
targeted species on the Auckland Islands Shelf in the months sampled.
Subject
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cited by
51 articles.
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