Table 51.--Nuraber and percentage of fur seals collected pelagically by the U.S.A. off California 

 in 1965 and 1966 with algae or barnacles growing on guard hairs'- 



Month 



Year 



Seals 

 collected 



Algae 



Barnacles 



Both algae 

 and barnacles 



Jan 



Feb 



Mar 



Apr 



May 



■June . . . . 



Total. 



706 



123 



99 



14.0 



54 



7.6 



The 1965 da^a from Fiscus and Kajimura (1967). 



by Lucas (1899). Scheffer (1950a) reviewed the 

 literature. More recent studies are: Taylor, 

 Fujinaga, and Wilke (1955); Wilke and Kenyon 

 (1957); North Pacific Fur Seal Commission 

 (1965); Fiscus, Baines, and Wilke (1964); Fis- 

 cus, Baines, and Kajimura (1965); and Fiscus 

 and Kajimura (1965; 1967). 



Fish and cephalopods were identified by 

 comparing them with a reference collection of 

 whole and skeletal specimens, and by using 

 identification keys prepared by Akimushkin 

 (1963); Barnhart (1936); Berry (1912; 1914); 

 Bolin (1939); Clarke (1962); Clemens and Wilby 

 (1961); Clothier (1950); Fraser- Brunner ( 1949); 

 Roedel ( 1953 ); Sasaki (1929); Schultz ( 1936); and 

 Welander.2^ 



Little or no food in the stomachs of many 

 seals collected at sea since 1958 andobserved 

 inactivity of the aninnals during daylight indi- 

 cate that feeding occurs primarily at night; 

 however, seals may also feed during the day in 

 areas where food is abiuidant in the upper sur- 

 face layers. Fur seals appear to feed heavily on 

 the most readily available fishes or cephalo- 

 pods. 



In 1966, 331 (76 percent) of 437 stomachs 

 collected contained food; however, 110 of the 

 331 stomachs contained only trace amounts 

 (i.e., less than 5 cc). Anchovy, saury, hake, 

 and squid constituted 98 percent of the total 

 food volume in 1966. Anchovy contributed 74 

 percent. Since 1958, these four species have 

 contributed 82 to 98 percent of the food found 

 in stomachs of seals collected off California 

 (fig. 33). Locations at which these and certain 

 other important food species occurred in fur 

 seal stomachs in 1966 are shown in figures 

 C-1 to C-6. The results of the stomach ex- 

 aminations are shown in table 52. 



^""■Arthur D.Welander. 1949. Outline of the classifica- 

 tion of fishes (compiled by Arthur D. Welander). Fisher- 

 ies 402 and 403, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash., 

 72 pp. [Processed.] 



Three new species are reported for the first 

 time in 1966 as fur seal food in the eastern 

 Pacific; a lanternfish (Myctophum californi- 

 ense ), a sciaenid (species unknown), and a squid 

 ( Chiroteuthis veranyi ). 



The nunnber of fur seal stonnachs examined 

 from California waters since 1958 total 3,591. 

 The yearly totals were: 



1958 



1959 



470 1,263 



[961 



847 



1964 



305 



1965 1966 



269 



437 



The following fishes and cephalopods were 

 identified in 1966. Where applicable, common 

 and scientific names of fishes are from the list 

 published by the American Fisheries Society 

 (I960). Names of cephalopods are those used 

 by Berry (1912; 1914) and Sasaki (1929). 



Engraulis mordax. Northern anchovies were 

 most numerous in the stomachs of seals col- 

 lected between Pigeon Pt. and Pt. Sur (fig. 

 C-1). They ranked first both in total food 

 volume and in frequency of occurrence in 1 966. 

 They contributed 74 percent of the total food 

 volume and were found in 54 percent of the 

 stomachs (fig. 33). One stomach contained the 

 remains of 231 anchovies. Anchovies have been 

 one of the major food species consunned by 

 fur seals off California during each of the 6 

 years of collection. 



Magnisudis barysoma . Barracudinas have 

 been found in the stomachs of fur seals in 3 of 

 6 years that seals were collected off Cali- 

 fornia. In 1959, nine occurrences were re- 

 corded off Eureka and one off Pt. Conception. 

 One occurrence was also recorded off Eureka 

 in 1964. In 1966, M. barysoma were found in 

 the stomachs of two seals, one taken 120 km. 

 (65 miles) west of Pt. Sur (lat. 36° 24' N., 

 long. 1230 19' W.) and one 61 km. (33 miles) 

 west of Pt. Piedras Blancas (lat. 35°5rN., 

 long. 122O07' W.). 



63 



