Diet and estimated food consumption of Antarctic fur seals at Bouvetoya during summer

Collection and analysis of natural regurgitations and fresh seats, deposite d by Antarctic fur seals at the Nyroysa colony, Bouvetoya, during December 1998 to February 1999, afforded a comprehensive description of the dietary composition of this expanding population during the summer months. Mature, adult Euphausia superba was the staple diet of fur seals at Nyroysa, while squid and myctophid fish appeared to be taken opportunistically. In metric tons, the total Bouvetoya fur seal population is estimated to have consumed a minimum of 14,365 t krill (representing 1.2713 x 10(10) individuals of 1 .13 g mass), 186 t fish, 184 t squid and 14,735 t over 3 months, but there are many possible sources of error in these estimates. It is presumed that over-indulgence in krill may cause animals to regurgitate ashore.