Interpretation of otoliths in stomach content analyses of phocid seals: quantifying fish consumption

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Abstract
Thirteen captive phocid seals (10 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), 2 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), and 1 ringed seal (P. hispida)) were fed Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) in experiments designed to examine the use of otoliths recovered in stomach contents to interpret food consumption of wild seals. The percentage of ingested otoliths recovered in the stomach contents decreased with the time elapsed after feeding; 100% of otoliths were recovered between 0 and 3 h after feeding and 0% were recovered by 12.9 h after feeding. Absence of otoliths in the large intestine of seals having fed 3 to 6 h previous indicated that unrecovered otoliths had been digested (i.e., a complete disappearance of whole otoliths) while in the stomach. A significant relationship was also evident between the state of digestion of a seal''s stomach contents, as measured by the proportion of otoliths remaining in skull cases (skull-recovered otoliths), and the duration of time since it had fed. These relationships have potential application in the estimation of daily fish consumption of seals feeding in the wild.

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