Abstract
Cephalopod beaks from the stomach contents of “wandering albatross” (Diomedea exulans L.) chicks from Bird Island, South Georgia, were sampled between May and September in 1983 and 1984. Lower beaks were identified and measured, and allometric data were used to calculated mantle length and biomass of the species consumed. A total of 3421 lower beaks were examined, representing 35 species in the 1983 sample and 45 species in the 1984 sample. Eight of the twenty families contributed over 95% of the biomass. In 1984 there were less Onychoteuthidae and more Ommastrephidae than in 1983 and a decrease in the number of species known to occur south of the Antarctic Polar Front. There was a difference in the size-frequency distribution of the cephalopod diet in the two years; in 1984 there was a higher frequency of intermediate-sized specimens, reflecting the greater importance of ommastrephids, especially Illex sp. The energy content of cephalopods in 1984 may have been greater than in 1983. Serial sampling of cephalopod beaks during the austral winter did not reveal evidence of growth. By the age of 200 d, wandering albatross chicks have consumed a total of approximately 100 kg wet weight of cephalopods each.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Boyle, P. R. (Ed.): Cephalopod life cycles, Vol. 1. 475 pp. London: Academic Press 1983
Clarke, A., M. R. Clarke, L. J. Holmes and T. D. Waters: Calorific values and elemental analysis of eleven species of oceanic squids (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 65, 983–986 (1985)
Clarke, m. R.: Cephalopods in the diet of sperm whales of the southern hemisphere and their bearing on sperm whale biology. Discovery' Rep. 37, 1–324 (1980)
Clarke, M. R.: A handbook for the identification of cephalopod beaks, 273 pp. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1986
Clarke, M. R., J. P. Croxall and P. A. Prince: Cephalopod remains in the regurgitations of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans L. at South Georgia. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 54, 9–21 (1981)
Clarke, M. R., E. J. Denton and J. B. Gilpin-Brown: On the use of ammonium for buoyancy in squids. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 59, 259–276 (1979)
Clarke, M. R. and P., Prince: Cephalopod remains in regurgitations of black-browed and grey-headed albatrosses at South Georgia. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 54, 1–7 (1981)
Croxall, J. P., T. S. McCann, P. A. Prince and P. Rothery: Variation in reproductive performance of seabirds and seals at South Georgia 1976–1986 and its implication for Southern Ocean monitoring studies. In: Antarctic Ocean and resources variability, Ed. by D. Sahrhage. Heidelberg/Berlin: Springer-Verlag (In press)
Croxall, J. P., C. Rickets and P. A. Prince: Impact of seabirds on marine resources, especially krill of south Georgia waters. In: Seabird energetics, pp 285–317. Ed. by G. Causey Whittow and Herman Rahn, New York: Plenum Publishing Corp. 1984
Fischer, W. and J. C. Hureau (Eds.): FAO species identification sheets for fishery purpses. Southern Ocean (Fishing areas 48, 58 and 88) (CCAMLR Convention Area), Vol. 1. 232 pp. Rome: F.A.O. 1985. (Prepared and published with the support of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources)
Heywood, R. B., I. Everson and J. Priddle: The absence of krill from the South Georgia zone, winter 1983. Deep-Sea Res. 32, 369–378 (1985)
Imber, M. J. and R. Russ: Some foods of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans. Notornis 22, 27–36 (1975)
Matthews, L. H.: The birds of South Georgia. ‘Discovery’ Rep. 1, 561–592 (1929)
Nelder, J. A. and P. McCullagh: Generalized linear models, 261 pp. London: Chapman & Hall 1983
Offredo, C., V. Ridoux and M. R. Clarke: Cephalopods in the diet of Emperor and Adelie penguins in Adelie Land, Antarctica. Mar. Biol. 86, 199–202 (1985)
Okutani, T. and M. R. Clarke: Identification key and species description for Antarctic squids. BIOMASS Handb. Ser. 21, 1–57 (1985)
Pielou, E. C.: The measurement of diversity in different types of biological collections. Theor. Biol. 13, 131–144 (1966)
Rodhouse, P. G.: Distribution of the neoteuthid squid Alluroteuthis antarcticus Odhner in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. (Malacologia) (In press)
Rodhouse, P. G. and M. R. Clarke: Growth and distribution of young Mesonychteuthis hamiltoni Robson: and Antarctic squid. Vie Mileu 35, 223–230 (1985)
Rodhouse, P. G. and M. R. Clarke: Distribution of the early-life phase of the antarctic squid Galiteuthis glacialis in relation to the hydrology of the Souther Ocean in the sector 15° to 30°E. Mar. Biol. 91, 353–357 (1986)
Roper, C. F. E., M. J. Sweeney and C. E. Nauen: FAO species catalogue. Vol. 3. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species of interest to fisheries. F.A.O. Fish. Synopses 125, 1–277 (1984)
Tickell, W. L. N.: The biology of the great albatrosses Diomedea exulans and Diomedea epomophora. Antarctic Res. Ser. 12, 1–55 (1968)
Voss, N. A.: Studies on the cephalopod family Cranchiidae. A redescription of Egea inermis Joubin, 1933. Bull. mar. Sci. 24, 939–956 (1974)
Voss, N. A.: A generic revision of the Cranchiidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida). Bull. mar. Sci. 30, 365–412 (1980)
Young, R. E.: Ventral bioluminescent countershading in midwater cephalopods. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 38, 161–190 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rodhouse, P.G., Clarke, M.R. & Murray, A.W.A. Cephalopod prey of the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans . Marine Biology 96, 1–10 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394833
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394833