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Prey of the Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella at Marion Island

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Abstract

The prey of Antarctic fur seals, Arctocephalus gazella, was investigated through scat analysis at Marion Island from 1996 until 2000. A total of 25 different prey species were identified from scats, of which 21 were fish, 1 crustacean and 3 cephalopods. Fish were by far the main prey item, occurring in 96.1% of samples, followed by crustaceans (2.7%) and cephalopods (1.2%). Fishes from the family Myctophidae (Gymnoscopelus piabilis, Electrona carlsbergi, G. fraseri and E. subaspera) were the most abundant prey (97.2%) every year, while those from the families Notothenididae, Paralepididae, Notosudidae, Microstomatidae and Gempylidae were present in small numbers. G. piabilis, E. carlsbergi, E. subaspera and G. nicholsi contributed the most in terms of biomass to the diet. Significant seasonal differences existed in the diet when comparing summer and winter. G. piabilis, K. anderssoni, P. bolini and P. choriodon dominated in summer as opposed to E. carlsbergi, E. subaspera, G. fraseri and G. nicholsi that dominated in winter. The fish varied in size and mass, from the small K. anderssoni to the large Paranotothenia magellanica. Cephalopods and the crustacean Nauticaris marionis, in very low numbers and in winter, appeared in the scats, but not in all years of study. Unidentified penguin remains rarely turned up in scats.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Derick Shingwenyana, Michael de Maine, Tendamudzimu Mathagu and Bianca Harck for helping us to collect samples at Marion Island. We are grateful to Prof. Ian Gaigher from the University of Venda for his involvement and Greg Hofmeyr and Paul Odendaal for their advice and comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. We are thankful to Luyanda Antony, together with whom we worked on statistical analysis, the University of Pretoria (UP) for financial support, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for both financial and logistical support and the South African Committee for Antarctic Research (SACAR) for their advice. This material is also based upon work supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF). Any opinion, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and therefore the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    A. B. Makhado, M. N. Bester, P. A. Pistorius & J. W. H. Ferguson

  2. Centre for Environmental Studies, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    J. W. H. Ferguson

  3. Institute for Environmental and Coastal Management, University of Port Elizabeth, P.O. Box 1600, Port Elizabeth, 6000, South Africa

    N. T. W. Klages

  4. Avian Demography Unit, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    S. P. Kirkman

  5. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Branch Marine and Coastal Management, Private Bag X2, Rogge Bay, 8012, South Africa

    A. B. Makhado

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  1. A. B. Makhado
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Correspondence to A. B. Makhado.

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Makhado, A.B., Bester, M.N., Kirkman, S.P. et al. Prey of the Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus gazella at Marion Island. Polar Biol 31, 575–581 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-007-0391-y

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