Beasley, Isabel, Cherel, Yves, Robinson, Sue, Betty, Emma, and Gales, Rosemary (2013) Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia Breviceps) stranding record in Tasmania, Australia, and diet of a single specimen. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 147. pp. 25-32.

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Abstract

This study describes the stranding record of the Pygmy Sperm Whale, Kogia breviceps, in Tasmanian waters, and the diet of a single individual. The Pygmy Sperm Whale is one of the most commonly stranded cetaceans in some parts of Australia, although it occurs infrequently in the Tasmanian stranding record, with only seven known stranding events. Dietary items were investigated from a single juvenile male Pygmy Sperm Whale stranded in southeast Tasmania. The recoverable diet consisted of approximately three kilograms of reconstructed cephalopod prey mass from at least 11 cephalopod species within nine families. Using reconstructed biomass, the most important family was Histioteuthidae (Histioteuthis atlantica and H. miranda: 29% of reconstructed biomass), followed by Ommastrephidae (unknown sp.: 27% of reconstructed biomass), Enoploteuthidae (Enoploteuthis sp): 25% of reconstructed biomass), Cranchiidae (Cranchia scabra and Teuthowenia pellucida), Chiroteuthidae (Chiroteuthis veranyi), Brachioteuthidae (Brachioteuthis linkovskyi), Neoteuthidae (Nototeuthis dimegacotyle), Pyroteuthidae (Pyroteuthis margaritifera) and Sepiolidae (Heteroteuthis sp.). Collection and analysis of biological material from Pygmy Sperm Whale strandings around Australia should be a high priority to better understand the ecology of this poorly known species.

Item ID:	31813
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	0080-4703
Keywords:	Pygmy Sperm Whale, Kogia breviceps, diet, cephalopods, Tasmania, Australia
Related URLs:	Publisher
Funders:	Princess Melikoff Trust
Date Deposited:	21 Mar 2014 05:03
FoR Codes:	06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060207 Population Ecology @ 100%
SEO Codes:	97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100%
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