Summer diet of the Salvin’s prion at sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Abstract

Thirty-nine food samples were collected from Salvin's prions Pachyptila salvini at sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands. The diet was dominated by crustaceans which formed 44, 2% of the mass, 99, 7% of prey items and occurred in 97, 4% of the samples. Amphipods were of particular importance, the most abundant species being Themisto gaudichaudii. There was a marked absence of copepods which are an important element in the diets of both the dove P. desolata and broad-billed prions P. vittata. Prey included fish (41, 9% by mass) and cephalopods. The results are compared with published data for dove, Salvin's and broad-billed prions collected at other islands, and with data from Marion Island for blue petrels Halobaena caerulea.