Biological characteristics of euphausiids preyed upon by Adelie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, breeding at Hukuro Cove, Lutzow-Holm bay in 1995/1996

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Adelie penguins were used as a biological sampler from late December 1995 to late January 1996 to study biological characteristics of euphausiids in Lutzow-Holm Bay, which is generally covered with fast sea-ice even in summer. Stomach contents and diving behavior of the penguins were examined. Euphausiids accounted for 73% of total wet weight of stomach contents, and fish 27%. Among euphausiids, Euphausia superba occupied 83%, and E. crystallorophias 17%. Females occupied 96% of the total number of E. superba, males only 4%. E. crystallorophias consisted of 73% females, 10% males and 17% juveniles. Adelie penguins might eat nutritionally superior female euphausiids selectively, and/or they could not catch male euphausiids which can swim faster. It was suggested that those individuals which dived deeper ate more euphausiids than fish, and larger E. superba.
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