Cephalopods in the diets of Emperor and Adelie penguins in Adelie Land, Antarctica

✍ Scribed by C. Offredo; V. Ridoux; M. R. Clarke

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 417 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0025-3162
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00399027

✦ Synopsis

Cephalopod remains were collected from all of 12 dead Emperor penguin chicks [Aptenodytes forsteri (Gray)l, from 76% of 29 living adult Emperor penguins, and from 18% of 105 living adult Adelie penguins [Pygoscelis adeliae (Hombron & Jacquinot)] from Adelie Land, Antarctica, in 1982. Of the seven species of squids represented by lower beaks, Psychroteuthis glacialis comprised 88% of the number in both Emperor chicks and Emperor adults and 100% in Adelie adults. From estimates of the weight of squids represented by lower beaks, Gonatus antarcticus and Kondakovia longimana contributed 18 and 14%, respectively, of the weight of squids in the diet of Emperor chicks and 27 and 21%, respectively, in the diet of Emperor adults. The data suggest that Psychroteuthis glacialis probably hatch in July-September and grow steadily for one year, and then spawn and die.