CEPHALOPOD SPECIES IN THE DIET OF A SPERM WHALE (PHYSETER CATODON) STRANDED AT PENZANCE, CORNWALL

Stomach contents from an adult male sperm whale (Physeter catodon) str anded at Penzance, Cornwall, included a total of 125 upper and 110 low er beaks (mandibles) of cephalopods. All but two of the cephalopod spe cies represented by lower beaks were oceanic squid belonging to four s pecies in four families comprising: Histioteuthis spp. (44.5% by numbe r and 10.7% by estimated wet weight); Architeuthis spp. (42.7% by numb er, 82.2% by weight); Todarodes sagittatus (7.3% by number, 6.0% by we ight); Galiteuthis sp. (0.9% by number, 0.02% by weight); an oceanic o ctopod, Haliphron atlanticus (3.6% by number, 0.9% by weight) and one neritic species, Loligo forbesi (0.9% by number and 0.1% by weight). M antle lengths of the squid were estimated to vary from 126 to 1056 mm.