Diet of new Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) at the Auckland islands

Scat and regurgitate samples (n = 206) from New Zealand sea lions (Phocarct os hookeri) were collected at the Auckland Islands between December 1994 an d February 1997. Most (82%) samples were collected during three summer seas ons while the remainder (18%) were collected during a single winter season. Thirty-three taxa were identified from 3523 prey items. The six most abund ant prey species accounted for 90% of all prey items. The two most numerica lly abundant prey species, octopus (Enteroctopus zelandicus) and opalfish ( Hemerocoetes species) made up almost 50% of total prey items. Other importa nt prey species included lobster krill (Munida gregaria), hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae), oblique-banded rattail (Coelorhynchus aspercephalus), and salps (Pyrosoma atlanticum). New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and seabirds were also identified in samples. New Zealand sea lions are ge neralist feeders utilising a wide variety of prey items, with fish comprisi ng the most common taxa (59%) numerically and both cephalopods (21%) and cr ustacea (15%) forming lesser, but still important, parts of the diet. Prey taxa identified indicate that New Zealand sea lions are utilising a wide va riety of benthic, demersal and pelagic species ranging from the inter-tidal zone to waters deeper than 300 m. New Zealand sea lions at the Auckland Is lands target different prey species to New Zealand sea lions at other locat ions although they have broadly consistent prey types, with fish as the maj or taxa. There is only a small overlap of New Zealand sea lion prey species with commercially targeted species on the Auckland Islands Shelf in the mo nths sampled.