Lycoteuthid squids as prey of petrels in New Zealand seas

Abstract

The beaks of four species of Lycoteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) were found in stomachs of black petrels Procellaria parkinsoni Gray (Aves: Procellariiformes) breeding on Little Barrier Island (36° 12S, 175° 05'E). Two of these squids, Lycoteuthis diadema (Chun, 1900) and Oregoniateuthis longimanus (Steenstrup, 1857), previously have not been reported specifically from the south‐west Pacific Ocean. The others, which are much smaller, have not been positively identified. Lycoteuthis diadema seems to be common within the feeding range of this petrel, but to be restricted to northwards of 38° S in this region. Oregoniateuthis lorigera (Steenstrup, 1875), the binomen under which this taxon has been known hitherto, is shown to be a junior synonym of O. longimanus. © 1975 Taylor & Francis Ltd.