New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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SOME OBSERVATIONS OF THE FEEDING HABITS OF A WEDDELL SEAL, AND MEASUREMENTS OF ITS PREY, DISSOSTICHUS MAWSONI, AT McMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA

I. Calhaem
D. A. Christoffel

Physics Department, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract During December 1966, observations were made on the hunting and feeding habits of an individual Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddelli Lesson) at a fishing hole in the ice above a depth of 300 m of water, near McMurdo Station. The seal appeared regularly every day, usually within 10 minutes of 1800 hours, and started feeding, sometimes for as long as 8 hours. The prey fish, once caught, was killed and eaten underwater, with the seal frequently surfacing to breathe. The fish caught varied in weight between 15 and 651b, and were all the same species, identified as Dissostichus mawsoni Norman. The average daily weight of the seal's catch was estimated to be about 1501b.

N.Z. Jl mar. Freshwat. Res. 3: 181-90
Received for publication 21 March 1968

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1290K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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