FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 84, NO. 4 



Oregon 



Only 69 northern fur seals with food in their 

 stomachs were collected in Oregon between Janu- 

 ary and May during 1958-74, with 58 of these taken 

 during April. Thus, diet could not be determined by 

 month or by inshore and offshore areas. As in 

 California, the main food was northern anchovy 

 (Fig. 5). Other important prey were market squid, 

 onychoteuthid squids, Pacific whiting, and rock- 

 fishes (Sebastes spp.). 



Washington 



Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, was the 

 most important food for northern fur seals off 

 Washington, particularly when energy content was 

 considered (Fig. 6A). It was only slightly more sig- 

 nificant than rockfishes, salmonids (Salmonidae, 

 primarily Oncorhynchus spp.), and northern anchovy 

 when caloric values were not incorporated. Pacific 

 herring was eaten from December to June but only 



SRY WHI 



Prey species 



Figure 5.— Composition (percent) of diet of northern fur seals by 

 prey species off Oregon during 1958-74 for pooled January- June 

 samples (N = 69), using modified volume (dark bars) and energy- 

 adjusted modified volume. Key: ANC = northern anchovy; MAR 

 = market squid; ONY = onychoteuthid squids; OP = other prey; 

 ROC = rockfishes; SRY = Pacific saury; WHI = Pacific whiting. 



MAR ONY GON SHA HER ANC SAL CAP EUL ROC SBL OP 



Prey species 



B 



100 



8 50 



N 



WASHNO PEROUSE WASHOFF 

 746 961 234 



Figure 6.— Composition (percent) of diet of north- 

 ern fur seals by prey species off Washington dur- 

 ing 1958-74 (A) for pooled December-June samples 

 (N = 1,918), using modified volume (dark bars) and 

 energy-adjusted modified volume; (B) by month 

 using modified volume; and (C) by subregion with 

 pooled December-June samples using modified 

 volume. A dark line separates squid and fish 

 categories in the latter two figures. Key: ANC = 

 northern anchovy; CAP = capelin; EUL = eula- 

 chon; GON = gonatid squids; HER = Pacific her- 

 ring; MAR = market squid; MF = miscellaneous 

 fish species; MS = miscellaneous squid species; 

 ONY = onychoteuthid squids; OP = other prey; 

 ROC = rockfishes; SAL = salmonids; SBL = 

 sablefish; SHA = American shad; WHI = Pacific 

 whiting. 



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