Authors: R Casaux L Bellizia A Baroni
Publish Date: 2003/12/02
Volume: 27, Issue: 2, Pages: 59-65
Abstract
The analysis of 523 scats collected at Harmony Point Nelson Island South Shetland Islands from January to March in 2001 and 2002 indicated that the diet of nonbreeding male Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella was diverse and composed of both pelagic and benthicdemersal prey Overall the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba and fish were the most frequent and numerous prey followed by penguins cephalopods mainly squid and gastropods Myctophids represented 865 and 658 of the fish mass in 2001 and 2002 respectively with Gymnoscopelus nicholsi being the main prey Interestingly penguin remains were present in 390 and 319 of the samples in 2001 and 2002 respectively and these birds were the main prey by reconstituted mass 740 and 761 in both seasons The occurrence of penguins in the diet of A gazella at Harmony Point is discussed in terms of the foraging strategy employed by seals and the temporal availability of prey
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