The Diet of the Royal Penguin Eudyptes schlegeli at Macquarie Island

Abstract

The diet of Royal Penguins Eudyptes schlegeli at Macquarie Island was studied in the 1984/85 and 1985/86 breeding seasons. The major food was euphausiid crustaceans (51% by weight), comprising Euphausia valentini (328 by weight) and Thysanoessa gregatia (10% by weight), together with the myctophld fish Krefftichthys anderssoni (24%). Other myctophid species such as Electrona carlsbergi, nototheniids and cephalopods were taken only in small amounts (25% by weight of the total diet). Most of the euphausiids eaten were adults, while the fish tended to be juveniles. Composition of the diet varied throughout the breeding season; E valentini was prevalent during incubation and moulting but the diet became more varied during chick feeding. It also varied between the east and west coasts of the island, penguins on the latter eating fewer E valentini and more E. gregaria than those on the east coast.