Diet and feeding habits of the sperm whale (Physeter Catodon L.) in the cook strait region of New Zealand

Stomachs of 151 sperm whales were examined at the Tory Channel whaling station in 1963 and 1964. In nine stomachs examined quantitatively there was a 1.69:1 ratio of squid to fish by weight. Some gastroliths were found. The weight of fresh food varied from 12.70 to 105 kg.

Two samples of lower mandibles from squids totalling 2,118 specimens were separated into 11 types and subtypes with the help of a previously published key by M. R. Clarke. These types have been designated: Ai, Aii, Aiii; Bi, Bii, Biii; and C, D, E, F, and G. Some beaks (2.36% of the total) could not be grouped into these categories.

Onychoteuthid squid made up the bulk of the stomach contents by number and weight. The following squid were identified: Nototodarus sloanei, Histioteuthis cookiana, Architeuthis sp., and Moroteuthis sp. The most common fish in the stomachs were: Polypriori oxygeneios (groper), Genypterus blacodes (ling), Hoplostethus sp., an unidentified eel, and Jordanidia solandri (southern kingfish). Other species recorded included Zeus faber (John Dory), Koinga kirki (spined dogfish), Myctophus humboldti (lantern fish), Echinorhinus cooki, and Echinorhinus sp. or Dalatias sp. Quantitative estimates suggested that commercial species of fish were usually less than 32% of the contents by weight.

The feeding habits are discussed.     

东太平洋赤道海域鸢乌贼(Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis)和茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)的食性比较研究

柔鱼亚科(Ommastrephinae)近缘种鸢乌贼(Sthenoteuthisoualaniensis)和茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)为重要的大洋性经济头足类,二者在东太平洋赤道海域均有分布。研究以同一航次捕获的两种头足类为研究对象,结合传统胃含物分析和DNA条形码技术对二者食物组成及其差异开展研究,以分析同域近缘头足类间的摄食习性及差异。结果表明,鸢乌贼和茎柔鱼均以鱼类、头足类和甲壳类为主要食物来源,ANOVA显示,两者在Shannon多样性指数和饵料生物头足类和鱼类N%上均存在显著差异, SIMPER分析进一步表明,种间胃含物组成差异最主要体现在鱼类的种类组成和个数百分比上。研究结论直观反映了同域近缘头足类物种食物特化的现象,为后续探究头足类近缘种共存机制提供了数据支持。     

The biology,life history and management needs of a large sciaenid fish,Argyrosomus coronus,in Angola

The West Coast dusky kob Argyrosomus coronus is an understudied yet important fishery species in Angola. During a five-year study (2005–2009), the species was recorded in all fishery sectors, but was most important in the inshore recreational fishery in southern Angola (Cunene Estuary to Namibe). Early juveniles (<300 mm total length, TL) were captured in the offshore artisanal fishery at Praia Pinda, whereas juveniles (300–600 mm TL), subadults (600–870 mm TL) and adults (>870 mm TL) were captured in all fisheries as far north as Namibe, and shoals of large adult fish (>1 000 mm TL) were occasionally captured in the offshore purse-seine commercial fishery between the Cunene Estuary and Lucira. Because some Argyrosomus species are morphologically cryptic, a DNA barcoding method was used to confirm the taxonomic status of the biological samples used in this study. The male:female sex ratio of examined samples was 1:1.4 (n = 225). The length-at-50% maturity was 823 mm and 904 mm TL for males and females respectively. Age-at-50% maturity was 4.4 and 4.3 years for males and females respectively. The periodicity of otolith ring formation was confirmed to be one year using a marginal zone and a chemical marking analysis. Growth (in mm TL) was best described by: L_t = 1 826(1—e^{?0.12(t + 1.60)}). Argyrosomus coronus fed predominantly on fish, mainly Sardinella aurita (62% frequency of occurrence). Early juveniles appeared to frequent the offshore zone (50–100 m depth), moving into the inshore region at approximately 300 mm TL. Juveniles and subadults were resident (57% recaptured at the same site) and were particularly abundant around the mouth of the Cunene Estuary as well as in central and northern Namibia. Adults undertake migrations that correspond with the movement of the Angola–Benguela frontal zone, moving north as far as Gabon in winter and returning to southern Angola in spring, when spawning appeared to take place offshore. There are currently no catch restrictions on A. coronus in Angolan waters. However, declining catches and increasing fishing effort suggest that some management intervention is required, commencing with a proposed closure of the Cunene Estuary mouth region to fishing.     

尼罗系吉富罗非鱼(Oreochromis niloticus)幼鱼实用日粮中蔗糖糖蜜的养殖效果与血糖代谢变化

采用6种等蛋白质(34.4%)、等能量(16.10MJ/kg)试验日粮,研究了尼罗系吉富罗非鱼幼鱼实用日粮中蔗糖糖蜜替代小麦次粉的养殖效果与血糖代谢变化。结果表明,56d试验期间各试验组鱼均无死亡;蔗糖糖蜜替代小麦次粉40%—100%日粮组鱼的摄食量、特定生长率、饲料效益和蛋白效益均高于小麦次粉组鱼,当蔗糖糖蜜100%替代小麦次粉时,其摄食量、特定生长率和饲料效益蛋白效益比均显著性上升(P<0.05)。各试验组鱼鱼体营养成分(蛋白质、脂肪、灰分和水分)和肝体指数无显著性差异(P>0.05),肝脏结构正常。蔗糖糖蜜组鱼血浆中血糖、总蛋白、胆固醇、甘油三酯含量明显高于小麦次粉组鱼(P<0.05)。本试验结果认为,蔗糖糖蜜在尼罗系吉富罗非鱼幼鱼实用日粮中可以完全替代小麦次粉,蔗糖糖蜜对尼罗系吉富罗非鱼幼鱼具有较好的生长效益、节约日粮蛋白质效益和适口性,其主要原因与摄食蔗糖糖蜜后尼罗系罗非鱼幼鱼产生的较长时间高血糖现象有关。     

Feeding Habits of the Mesopelagic Fish Gonostoma gracile in the Northwestern North Pacific

The diet of Gonostoma gracile, a numerically abundant mesopelagic fish in the Subtropical Region and the Transition Domain of the northwestern North Pacific, was examined using 520 specimens collected during June–July 1988, June 1995 and November 1995. The prey included mainly copepods, ostracods, amphipods and euphausiids. Copepods and ostracods were the most abundant, comprising approximately 70% of the total diet. There was little evidence of an ontogenetic dietary shift; Pleuromamma copepods were the most abundant prey for all size classes of fish ranging from 19 to 116 mm in standard length. The size range of prey increased with growth, but all fish sizes examined fed mainly on 1–4 mm long prey. Luminescent copepods and ostracods were the most abundant prey, suggesting that G. gracile detects its prey visually. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

短角异剑水蚤对克氏双锯鱼稚鱼成活、生长和脂肪酸组成的影响

为评估短角异剑水蚤(Apocyclops royi)作为海水鱼类仔稚鱼的饵料价值和投喂效果,比较分析了其与卤虫无节幼体(Artemia nauplii)的脂肪酸组成及2种生物饵料对克氏双锯鱼(Amphiprion clarkii)稚鱼存活、生长和脂肪酸组成的影响。结果显示,短角异剑水蚤DHA、EPA和ARA含量分别达21.185%、11.088%和3.250%,海水仔稚鱼必需脂肪酸(EFA)总含量高达37.417%,均显著高于卤虫无节幼体。投喂短角异剑水蚤的克氏双锯鱼稚鱼(5~20 d)成活率(80.71%±8.23%)与投喂卤虫无节幼体组(76.30%±7.00%)差异不显著;稚鱼体长(7.75 mm±1.18 mm)、体重(0.0163 g±0.0080 g)和体长特定生长率(3.46%±0.75%)均显著高于卤虫无节幼体投喂组;稚鱼体内DHA(21.843%)、EPA(6.914%)和ARA(2.725%)含量也均显著高于后者。研究表明,短角异剑水蚤适于作为海水鱼类仔稚鱼的生物饵料,在水产养殖中具有广阔的应用前景。     

Dietary shift and feeding intensity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stenobrachius leucopsarus</Emphasis> in the Bering Sea

The food habits of the dominant myctophid Stenobrachius leucopsarus were examined in the central basin of the Bering Sea in relation to oceanographic conditions, in summer 2002 and 2003 and spring 2006. S. leucopsarus exhibited an ontogenetic and seasonal dietary shift. In spring, small fish (≤40 mm) preyed mainly on Neocalanus flemingeri/plumchrus whereas large fish fed mainly on Neocalanus cristatus. In summer, small fish preyed mainly on Metridia pacifica whereas large fish fed mainly on euphausiids (Thysanoessa spp.). In the summer of 2003, when water temperature in the epipelagic layer (≤100 m) was warmer, reflecting the prevalence of the Alaskan Stream, small-sized S. leucopsarus showed a higher stomach content index, perhaps reflecting the greater abundance of M. pacifica. Thus, the present study shows that the physical variability in the epipelagic layer affects not only diets but also feeding performance of micronekton.     

The food and feeding of seven fish species from the Campbell Plateau,New Zealand

The food and feeding habits of hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis), javelin fish (Lepi‐dorhynchus denticulatus), ling (Genypterus blacodes), smooth rattail (Coelorinchus aspercephalus), silverside (Argentina elongata), and small‐scaled notothenid (Notothenia microlepidota) sampled from the Campbell Plateau in 1979 were examined. The importance of prey items in the diet has been assessed by an ‘index of relative importance’, which combines measurements of frequency of occurrence, number, and weight of prey. Hoki, southern blue whiting, and javelin fish are pelagic feeders. Hoki preyed largely on natant decapod crustaceans, amphipods, and myctophid and photichthyid fishes. The main prey of southern blue whiting were amphipods, natant decapods, and euphausiids. Javelin fish fed on natant decapods, amphipods, and small squid. Seasonal and regional differences in feeding, and dietary changes with length of fish were evident. Ling, smooth rattail, silverside, and small‐scaled notothenid are predominantly benthic feeders. Ling preyed on natant decapods, macrourid fishes, and small hoki. The diet of rattail comprised natant decapod crustaceans, opal fishes (Hemerocoetes spp.), and poly‐chaetes. Silverside fed almost solely on salps. Salps, amphipods, brachyuran crustaceans, and opal fishes were the main prey of small‐scaled notothenid.     

PCR‐based techniques to determine diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea): a comparison with morphological analysis

Comprehensive dietary information for the endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is currently limited by the deficiency and poor quality of identifiable prey remains recovered from regurgitate and faeces and the difficulty of observing feeding in the wild. In this study, we investigated DNA‐based prey detection methods using conventional (end‐point) and quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) on faeces collected from two captive Australian sea lions fed experimental diets of whole teleost fish, squid and shark tissue. PCR prey detection methods using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S genes combined with clone sequencing were compared with prey identified using traditional hard part analysis. The molecular results indicated that prey DNA was degraded. However, prey amplification was successful by targeting short (71 bp) DNA fragments. Both conventional PCR and qPCR techniques significantly increased prey detection compared with analysis of hard parts. For both sea lions, the hard part analysis was constrained by sporadic and extremely low recovery of fish otoliths (<2%), and cephalopod beaks were not recovered from the 116 squid fed. Comparisons between PCR techniques indicated comparable prey detection frequencies for all species tested; however, the sensitivity and greater resolution of qPCR improved prey detection by ~25% in one sea lion fed the experimental squid and perch. The detection of squid DNA ≤ 6 day post‐ingestion by qPCR further exhibits the ability and potential of this method to detect low concentrations of infrequent or pulse prey. This study highlights the use of DNA‐based analysis to detect prey taxa in the absence of identifiable hard prey remains.     

Feeding habits of the ommastrephid squid Nototodarus sloanii on the Chatham Rise,New Zealand

The diet of the squid Nototodarus sloanii was determined from examination of stomach contents of 388 specimens of 14.3–41.0 cm dorsal mantle length sampled at depths of 211–760 m on the Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Prey items were predominantly mesopelagic fishes, with some crustaceans and cephalopods. The most important prey species identified was Maurolicus australis, followed by Lampanyctodes hectoris, and unidentified squids (Teuthoidea). Multivariate analyses using distance‐based linear models, non‐parametric multi‐dimensional scaling, analysis of similarities, and similarity percentages, indicated crustaceans were more important in the diet of smaller squid (83–480 g), the fish component of the diet was dominated by L. hectoris on the east Chatham Rise and M. australis on the west Chatham Rise, and there may be a difference in diet with sex, with crustaceans and cephalopods more important for females. The results indicated that N. sloanii, similar to other ommastrephid squids, foraged primarily in the mesopelagic layers.     

日粮中不同糖源对吉富罗非鱼(Oreochromis niloticus)稚鱼养殖效果与机理研究

采用含有25%葡萄糖、麦芽糖、蔗糖、蔗糖糖蜜、糊精、小麦淀粉等不同糖源的6组等氮、等能量半纯合实验日粮, 研究了不同糖源对吉富罗非鱼稚鱼养殖效果与机理。结果表明, 葡萄糖组、麦芽糖组鱼的特定生长率、饲料效益和蛋白效益显著低于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05); 葡萄糖组和麦芽糖组鱼鱼体总能明显低于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05); 葡萄糖组和麦芽糖组鱼肝脏脂肪、肝糖原和肌糖原含量明显低于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05); 葡萄糖组鱼血糖浓度与总蛋白含量显著低于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05); 葡萄组和麦芽糖组鱼肝组织中己糖激酶(HK)显著高于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05), 葡萄糖-6-磷酸酶(G6Pase)和磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧激酶(PEPCK)显著低于其它各个糖源组鱼(P<0.05)。本实验结果认为, 日粮中不同糖源对吉富罗非鱼稚鱼养殖效果的差异主要与调控鱼体内糖代谢的关键酶己糖激酶(HK)、葡萄糖-6-磷酸酶(G6Pase)和磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧激酶(PEPCK)对不同糖源的糖分子结构不同活性有关, 与糖的分子大小无关。在罗非鱼稚鱼饲料中添加蔗糖糖蜜效果较好。     

不同脂肪水平下添加胆汁酸对大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)幼鱼生长、体组成和脂肪代谢的影响

在10%和18%两个脂肪水平下,分别添加0%、1.5%的胆汁酸,配制成四种等氮饲料,投喂初始平均体重为(45.78±0.11)g的大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)幼鱼8周,研究两个脂肪水平下添加胆汁酸对大菱鲆幼鱼生长、体组成和脂肪代谢的影响。结果表明:饲料脂肪水平升高或添加胆汁酸均能显著提高大菱鲆幼鱼增重率、特定生长率、蛋白质效率,降低饵料系数(P0.05);相同脂肪水平下,添加胆汁酸显著提高了实验鱼的生长,降低了肝体比(P0.05)。随着饲料脂肪水平的升高,组织中粗脂肪含量呈上升的趋势;而添加胆汁酸降低了组织中脂肪的蓄积,但全鱼与肌肉中水分、粗蛋白含量主要受饲料中胆汁酸水平的影响(P0.05)。胆汁酸能显著降低大菱鲆幼鱼肌肉PUFA含量(P0.05),增加SFA、MUFA含量。饲料添加胆汁酸能降低实验鱼血清甘油三酯、总胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量及谷草转氨酶、谷丙转氨酶活性(P0.05),但饲料脂肪水平对血液生化指标的影响呈相反趋势。饲料脂肪水平的升高或添加胆汁酸均能提高实验鱼肝脏脂蛋白脂酶、肝脂酶、总脂酶和肠道脂肪酶活性(P0.05),且胆汁酸和脂肪二者之间的交互作用对脂肪代谢有显著影响(P0.05)。综上所述,在2个脂肪水平下添加胆汁酸均能促进大菱鲆幼鱼的生长,提高饲料利用状况,促进脂肪消化吸收,降低组织中粗脂肪含量。     

Insights into the diet of a poorly known species: pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata from Cape Verde,West Africa

Despite having a worldwide distribution in tropical waters, knowledge on pygmy killer whales Feresa attenuata, including diet, is poor, with only a few studies carried out to date. The presence of otoliths and beaks in stomachs that have been examined indicate that the diet of F. attenuata includes squid, octopus and fish. In this study, the stomach contents of two F. attenuata recently stranded in Cape Verde, West Africa, were examined. A variety of fish hard parts and otoliths were recovered, in addition to the upper beak from an unidentified cephalopod and the remains of some marine arthropods. Lanternfish (Myctophidae) and deepbody boarfish Antigonia capros were identified from otoliths and comprised 95.4% of prey items. Whereas the sizes of the myctophids in the two whale stomachs were similar, those of other prey items differed. The findings provide important information on the diet of F. attenuata in the Cape Verde region.     

The diet of Patagonian hake Merluccius australis polylepis and its daily ration of Patagonian grenadier Macrouronus magellanicus

The diet of the Patagonian hake Merluccius australis polylepis in 1986 was determined by analysis of stomach samples collected from commercial trawl catches. The major prey items were Patagonian grenadier Macrouronus magellanicus and, to a lesser extent, southern blue whiting Micromesistius australis. Large (81–100 cm) hake are mainly piscivorous and consume more grenadier than smaller (51–80 cm) hake. The smaller hake feed both on fish and invertebrates. There was no difference by sex in terms of stomach contents. The daily feeding cycle was also investigated from samples collected during 1991. Hake feed principally on 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old grenadier, which they seem to catch mainly at night. The daily ration of grenadier was between 0,043 and 0,26 per cent of body mass (1,692–9,849 g). The results are similar to those for other hake species in terms of composition of the diet, daily feeding cycle and daily ration.     

The life history of the giant octopus Octopus magnificus in South African waters

Octopus magnificus is a regular bycatch of traps set for spiny lobsters and bottom trawls for Cape hakes Merluccius spp. on the continental shelf of South Africa. Octopuses were collected from rocky substrata (traps) and soft sediments (research trawls) during a three-year period (2002–2005) and over a wide geographical and depth range to investigate their basic biological and life-history characteristics. Octopuses collected from trawl nets were smaller than those from traps. Males from traps and trawl nets were larger than females, with males being more frequently caught in traps than females. Size distributions were seasonally cyclical, increasing from a small mean size in the austral winter to a peak in summer, and receding during autumn. No mature females were found on soft sediments. The female gonadosomatic index peaked during summer, and sperm were found in oviducts year-round. Males reached 50% maturity at a weight of 4.6kg compared with 5.8kg in females. Mature females produced up to 10 000 medium-to-large (4–9mm maximum length) eggs, and potential fecundity was positively related to female body and ovary weight. Feeding rates were highest in trap-caught octopuses and gut contents consisted mainly of bait, spiny lobsters and teleosts (mainly jacopever Helicolenus dactylopterus). The gut contents of trawl-caught octopuses consisted mainly of crustaceans (84%), mostly portunid crabs but no spiny lobsters, teleosts (15%) and molluscs (1%). The results suggest that O. magnificus has a short (c. 1 year) lifespan, with winter/spring recruitment, a summer spawning peak, and post-spawning mortality in autumn. Alternatively, the species may have a longer lifespan with seasonal migrations between rocky and soft substrata.     

Mesopelagic nekton and associated physics of the southeastern Bering Sea

The mesopelagic community of fishes and squids are fundamental in the diet of apex predators, but in most cases their life histories and habitat requirements are poorly understood. In May 1999, a pilot study was conducted to identify mesopelagic nekton, describe dominant physical characteristics of their habitat, and compare their relative abundances over several study sites in the southeastern Bering Sea. Biological samples were collected at 250, 500, and 1000 m depths with an open pelagic rope trawl lined with 1.2-cm mesh in the codend. Net type, mesh size, and trawling techniques were designed to parallel those of extensive Russian research surveys in the western Bering Sea, permitting direct comparisons between study results. Forty-three species of fish and 15 species of cephalopods were identified, including a new species of gonatid squid and a range extension for Paraliparis paucidens, a snailfish never before observed in Alaskan waters. Faunal biomass was high with over 25,000 (1400 kg) fish and squid collected in only 13 trawls. Concentrations of fish in this area surpass published records from the western Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean by an order of magnitude, driven primarily by Leuroglossus schmidti, a deep-sea smelt. Generally, specimens were of high quality, and new size records were established for several species of fish and squid. The physical environment as determined from altimetry, satellite-tracked drifters, and water properties (temperature and salinity) was typical of the last decade for this area. Spatial patterns in species distribution were observed, but further research is needed to determine whether these are a factor of mesoscale variability or of habitat characteristics.     

Estimation of spawning habitats of market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) from field surveys of eggs off Central and Southern California

Like many other loliginid squid, Doryteuthis (Loligo) opalescens deposits egg cases on the ocean floor. Depending upon temperature, egg cases may persist for 5–12 weeks before the paralarvae hatch. Because of this relatively long duration and squid’s pelagic life history, egg cases provide a practical life stage to survey. During 2001–2002, squid egg beds in Monterey Bay, Carmel Bay, and around the California Channel Islands were surveyed using a remotely operated vehicle with the goal of delineating the habitat of egg beds that are spawned during active commercial fishing. Egg cases were highly aggregated and densities reached 1338 capsules m⁻². Squid eggs were significantly shallower in Central California. Egg cases occurred between 20 and 93 m around the Channel Islands, and in Central California they were between 13 and 61 m. The temperatures in both regions were similar (10–12 °C), with some eggs in Southern California found up to 14.4 °C. Ninety-five percent of eggs were found on sand, suggesting that temperature and substrate are stronger behavioral cues than depth to stimulate spawning. Suitable spawning habitat was defined by three criteria: sandy benthic substrate, temperatures between 10 and 14.4 °C, and depths between 20 and 70 m when the first two criteria hold. Additionally, within this defined area, oxygen concentration is quantified. The greatest commercial landings of market squid occur in both Central and Southern California during a time of year when water temperatures of 10–12 °C are prevalent in the 20–70 m depth range.     

不同气候条件下南海西沙海域鸢乌贼(Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis)渔业生物学比较研究

为探讨不同气候条件对鸢乌贼(Sthenoteuthisoualaniensis)渔业生物学影响,根据2015年8月(厄尔尼诺年)、2016年8月(拉尼娜发生期)和2017年8月(正常时期)我国灯光罩网船在南海采集的1 970尾鸢乌贼样本,对其胴长、体重、性腺成熟度、胃饱满度、初次性成熟胴长进行了比较研究。结果表明:不同年间鸢乌贼雌雄比例不同, 2017年最高, 2015年次之, 2016年最低;优势胴长组不同,2015年最大, 2017年次之, 2016年最小;优势体重组也不同, 2015年最大, 2017年次之, 2016年最小。协方差分析表明不同年间胴长与体重的关系均不存在性别间显著性差异, 2015、2016和2017年分别最适用线性、幂和指数函数表示;不同年间样本性成熟组成存在差异,雌雄样本性成熟样本分别占对应总数的30.96%和25.40%、46.41%和11.15%、7.35%和28.46%;胃饱满度组成也不同。不同年间初次性成熟胴长不同, 2015、2016和2017年雄性初次性成熟胴长分别为184.12、144.41、132.70 mm;雌性分别为192.66、143.68、188.52 mm。结果表明,不同气候变化引起的海洋环境的变化对鸢乌贼渔业生物学产生影响:温度升高导致鸢乌贼个体减小,性成熟胴长减小,雌雄间的个体差异变大。     

Currents along the Tsitsikamma coast,South Africa,and potential transport of squid paralarvae and ichthyoplankton

In July 1998, a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler was deployed at 36m depth in the centre of the Tsitsikamma National Park on the eastern Agulhas Bank, South Africa. The purpose was to investigate transport of chokka squid Loligo vulgaris reynaudii paralarvae hatched on the inshore spawning grounds (<60m) and ichthyoplankton spawned within the park. Analysis of the first 12 months of data (July 1998–June 1999) shows that surface flow was mainly eastward (alongshore), with a maximum velocity (u-component) of +115cm s^?1 and an average of +24cm s^?1. Generally, velocity decreased with depth, with a maximum bottom velocity (u-component) of +65cm s^?1 and an average of +10cm s^?1. Data from a nearby thermistor array show that the water column was usually isothermal during winter (July–September), with bottom flow in the same direction as the surface layer. In summer (December–March), vertical stratification was most intense, and surface and bottom flows differed in velocity and direction. Potential net monthly displacements calculated for three depths (5m, 23m and 31m) indicate that passive, neutrally buoyant biological material (e.g. squid paralarvae, fish eggs and larvae) would likely be transported eastwards in the surface layer for eight of the 12 months, and would generally exceed distances of 220km month–1. Displacement in the bottom layer was more evenly distributed between east and west, with net monthly (potential) transport typically 70–100km, but reaching a maximum of 200km. Wind-driven coastal upwelling, prevalent during the summer, causes the surface layer of the coastal counter-current to flow offshore for several days, resulting in potential displacement distances of 40km from the coast. These results suggest that squid paralarvae hatched on the inshore spawning grounds are not generally transported towards the 'cold ridge', a prominent semi-permanent oceanographic feature of cold, nutrient-rich upwelled water, where food is abundant, and that fish larvae, whether from the surface or bottom layer, are exported beyond the boundaries of the Tsitsikamma National Park.     

Surviving off junk: low-energy prey dominates the diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Mercury Island,Namibia, between 1996 and 2009

The diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus in Namibia consisted mainly of sardine Sardinops sagax in the 1950s. Since the collapse of pelagic fish stocks in the 1970s, birds fed mainly on bearded (pelagic) goby Sufflogobius bibarbatus, a low-energy prey species. We present diet data for African penguins breeding at Mercury Island, the largest colony for this species in Namibia, between 1996 and 2009. Bearded goby was the main prey item throughout the study period, both in terms of frequency of occurrence (67.8%; SD 31.2) and in terms of mass (59.2%; SD 31.5). Diet composition varied throughout the year as well as between years; birds occasionally fed on a variety of fish species other than bearded goby. In Namibia, poor prey abundance is considered as a major factor contributing to the decline of penguin numbers after the collapse of the sardine stocks. However, bearded goby appears to be relatively abundant along Namibia's southern coast and low prey quality rather than low abundance appears to be a key factor influencing population dynamics of African penguins and other marine top predators in southern Namibia.