FOOD OF STRIPED DOLPHIN, STENELLA-COERULEOALBA, IN THE LIGURIAN SEA

The stomachs of 23 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba Meyen, 1833 , Cetacea), stranded along the Ligurian coast (western Mediterranean S ea), contained 32 species of cephalopods, crustaceans and fishes, tota lling an estimated 2,723 prey specimens representing about 36 kg in we ight. Cephalopods and bony fishes were equally important in the diet ( 50%). Todarodes sagittatus (34.5%) and Micromesistius poutassou (25.9% ) were found to be the most important food species. Other species belo nging to six cephalopod families, three crustacean families and nine b ony fish families, contributed to the diet with variable numbers, weig hts, and occurrences, demonstrating the opportunistic character of str iped dolphin feeding.