Food of Albacore 



Juvenile rockfish, approximately '^/k to 3^ inches in length, were the 

 predominant food item found in albacore stomachs over the entire range of the 1950 

 exploratory work in the offshore waters between southern Oregon and Dixon Entrance, 

 Alaska. In one instance, 4 albacore stomachs yielded 487 rockfish. 



The occurrence of small rockfish as a component of the albacore diet 

 was noted by Canadian investigators (Partlo 1950) in 1949 when small fish believed 

 to be Sebastodes pinniger constituted one of the main food items of albacore taken 

 off British Coluirbia. In the same year research personnel aboard the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service vessel Oregon reported that young rockfish were very common in 

 stomachs of albacore caught off the Washington and the British Columbia coasts 

 (Powell and Hi Id eb rand 1950). 



Two species of rockfish, identified as Sebastodes alutus and Sebastodes 

 crameri . seaned to oe the most common types found in albacore stomachs in 1950. 

 Of one sample of 120 rockfish taken from a single albacore, 87 percent were the 

 young of Sebastodes alutus . 



Other important food items found in albacore stomachs in 1950 were saury 

 and squid, but their occurrence was more sporadic than that of rockfish. Saury 

 were noted in 53 stomachs and squid in 48. Generally, rockfish far outnumbered 

 saury and sqiiid; however, it should be pointed out that 1 large saury is equal in 

 bulk to many small rockfish. Thirty-three stomachs, or 15 percent of the totcil 

 number examined, were empty. Table 6 gives a record of the food items found in 

 220 albacore stomachs. 



Table 6.— Occurrence of food items in the stomachs 

 of albacore in 1950 



No. stomachs examined 



No. empty stomachs 



No. stomachs containing: 

 Rockfish 

 Saury 

 Squid 



Liqviid remains (Unidentified) 

 Unidentified fish remains 

 Black cod 



Red feed (Euphausiids) 

 Liparid 

 Lantern fish 

 Wolf-eel 



Flatfish (Juvenile) 

 Trichiuridae 

 Jellyfish 

 Miscellaneous 



Feathers 



Seaweed 



Vertebrate egg cluster 



Potato Peel 



220 



33 



107 

 53 

 48 

 32* 

 13 

 8 



3 

 2 



1 

 1 



1 

 1 

 1 



2 

 2 



1 

 1 



*Gill-net fish 



33 



