Foods of northern fulmars associated with high-seas drift nets in the transitional region of the North Pacific

Patrick J. Gould; William Walker; Peggy H. Ostrom

doi:10.2307/3536846

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Foods of northern fulmars associated with high-seas drift nets in the transitional region of the North Pacific

Patrick J. Gould·William Walker·Peggy H. Ostrom

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Abstract

We examined digestive tract contents and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in breast muscles of northern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ) salvaged from squid and large-mesh drift nets in the transitional North Pacific. Lantern fishes (Myctophidae) were the principal prey item found in the digestive tracts. Pieces of unidentified fishes (probably Pacific pomfret Brama japonica ) and shredded squid tissue (probably neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartrami ) indicate scavenging at fishing operations. Although soft-bodied prey such as Velella were not found in the digestive tracts, δ 15 N values suggest that fulmars may feed heavily on such low trophic-level animals.

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Patrick J. Gould, William Walker, Peggy H. Ostrom. 1997. Foods of northern fulmars associated with high-seas drift nets in the transitional region of the North Pacific. https://doi.org/10.2307/3536846

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