The Diet of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor at Phillip Island, Victoria

Abstract

The staple diet of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor at Phillip Island, Victoria is fish. Over a 38 month period 1149 birds were given emetics, 770 regurgitated food. Sixty one percent of birds had eaten anchovy Engraulis australis 51% had eaten pilchard Sardinops neopilchardus and 37% had eaten at least one of 19 other species of fish. Thirty four percent had eaten at least one of five species of cephalopods, the most frequently eaten cephalopod being Nototodarus gouldi. The composition, size of prey and weight of food brought ashore varied seasonally and from year to year. Birds ate mostly adult pilchards between August and December and post-larval anchovies between January and June. Prey items varied in length from 1- 13 cm and the wet weight of food brought ashore averaged 75 g over the year.