Food spectrum of the deepwater squid Moroteuthis ingens (Cephalopoda: Onychoteuthidae) in New Zealand waters |
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| Authors: | G. D. Jackson J. F. McKinnon C. Lalas R. Ardern N. G. Buxton |
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| Affiliation: | (1) Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia e-mail: george.jackson@jcu.edu.au; fax: 61 77 81 4345, AU;(2) Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand, NZ;(3) Box 31 Portobello, New Zealand, NZ;(4) Synergy Information Systems Ltd., P.O. Box 539, Stanley, Falkland Islands, FK |
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| Abstract: | Prey species of the deepwater squid Moroteuthis ingens were examined for 37 large specimens captured in New Zealand waters. Caecum contents were predominantly less than 80% full and covered a range of digestion stages. The diet consisted of fish (at least seven species, of which four were myctophids) and squid. The most abundant prey was the myctophid Lampanyctodes hectoris, which was represented by 1323 otoliths from 22 caeca. The second most abundant prey was viperfish (Chauliodus sloani) and/or dragonfish (Stomias boa), represented by 537 otoliths from 17 caeca. Individual squid appeared to ingest surprisingly large numbers of fish (up to 100) during a single feeding period and could achieve feeding rates greater than 10% of their body weight per day. While some males appeared to ingest larger numbers of L. hectoris, females targeted significantly larger individuals of L. hectoris thereby ingesting a greater biomass of fish. Received: 31 July 1997 / Accepted: 15 January 1998 |
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