Diet and feeding strategy of Octopus maorum in southeast Tasmania

The maori octopus (Octopus maorum Hutton 1880), in Eaglehawk Bay, southeast Tasmania, consumes at least four crustacean and six fish species. The bala nce of the diet consists of small gastropods and other O. maorum. The analy sis of stomach contents data employed graphical methods to evaluate prey im portance and feeding strategy O. maorum exhibits population specialization towards the crab Paragrapsus gaimardii, individual specialization on atheri nid fishes and generalization on several other prey. Results of conventiona l dietary analysis are presented for comparison.