engleski

Cephalopod prey of Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris from the Adriatic sea

Sightings of beaked whales in the Adriatic Sea have been reported from its southern part, which is between 200 and 1000 meters deep. Information on diet composition of deep-diving whales is scarce and not available for the Adriatic Sea. Between 1990 and 2007 three specimens of Ziphius cavirostris were found dead, stranded along the Eastern Adriatic coast. We examined the specimens stomachs in order to determine the diet and compare it to the data from the Mediterranean Sea. Secondly, examining the diet could suggest the lenght of stay in the Adriatic Sea as the species are not considered resident in the area, and stomach contents include food remains of several feedings. Food remains were found in only one animal and consisted solely of cephalopod beaks. The total number of cephalopods found was 94, and they were acribed to 7 mesopelagic and bathypelagic species of the order Teuthida, with estimated biomass of 11 kg. Octopoteuthis sicula and Chiroteuthis verany dominated both in terms of number (68.5%) and weight (64.5 %), and the prey size implies the foraging depth was between 400 and 1000 meters.Two of the prey species have not been listed in the Adriatic cephalopod fauna, but as are widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea. We suggest that the whale was recently feeding in the Mediterranean Sea, but was also foraging in the Adriatic Sea as the dominant prey species are the most abundant deep-sea Teuthida in the Adriatic Sea.

Ziphius cavirostris

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